TC 20: Origins of Truth
by Tegan's Muse
Summary: A new member arrives at the SGC.  A hero is always a hero... even when they are hanging from a tree by the seat of their pants.  Lots of angst in this one, and some revelations. If there is an arc in TC this story definitely falls in it.
1. Chapter 1

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Origins of Truth 1**

"Welcome back SG1." General Hammond entered the gate room as the wormhole disengaged.

"It's good to be back, sir." Colonel O'Neill removed his P-90.

"How'd the mission go?"

"It was an ambush, sir . We were set up by a corrupt Tok'ra operative." He pulled at his uniform. "We'll be sure to give you all the details during debriefing sir."

Tegan glanced over as the door to the gate room whooshed open. "What's she doing here?"

General Hammond turned to see doctors Fraiser and Scully entering. "She's the new doctor on base."

"Oh." There was a hint of anger in her voice.

"Is that alright with you Major?"

It was a sarcastic question meant to put her in her place. "Of course sir; It's just we didn't call for a medical team."

"We were on the floor and heard you'd made it back." Janet referred to all of SG1 with her sweeping glance.

Jack leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Jealous?"

"No." Her voice fluctuated on the single syllable.

"Major Kiser needs to see you anyway." Jack nodded to Janet.

"I'm fine." Tegan clenched her jaw.

"You're grumpy," Daniel pointed out.

"And suddenly that means I need to – "

"Protocol," Sam interrupted putting her hand on Tegan's shoulder.

"Major Carter's right." General Hammond looked at his watch. "We'll debrief at fourteen-hundred hours."

"Yes sir." Jack extended his arm towards the exit. "After you Major Kiser."

Tegan rolled her eyes before marching down the ramp and past both Janet and Scully.

"I don't believe we've met." Jack stopped when he reached the two women. "I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill."

"Dr. Dana Scully," She introduced herself coolly.

"And I'll be doing your post Colonel." Janet drew his attention.

"Of course you will," He grumbled.

"You must be Major Carter." Scully turned to the tall blonde.

"Sam." She smiled brightly and blushed.

"I'll be doing you're post." Scully tried not to grin as she turned to Daniel. "And Dr. Jackson's."

"Daniel please." He adjusted his glasses and shook her hand.

"And this is Teal'c," Janet introduced the Jaffa.

"It is a pleasure to meet you." Teal'c bowed slightly.

"Likewise." Dana looked curiously at the golden tattoo embedded in his forehead.

"I thought we were going to follow protocol." Annoyed Tegan stuck her head back into the embarkation room.

Jack looked at both Janet and Scully. "Don't take it personally."

"How long has she been like this?"

"Since she woke up this morning?" Daniel looked at Sam.

"I don't know, she was a little cranky last night." Sam shrugged.

"Glowy eyes and then she got bitchy." Jack reminded.

"Damn it, I'm not bitchy."

Janet's head swung to look at Tegan. "Colonel I'm afraid you and Teal'c will have to wait for your posts."

"Of course." Jack was thankful he wasn't Tegan as he watched Janet escort her down the corridor.

"Great," Tegan complained as she saw Janet walking toward her with IV supplies.

"You're potassium is low." They'd both seen it coming.

"I've got a debriefing to go to, and I can't miss it."

"If I say you can you will," Janet disagreed. "But… if you promise to stop biting everyone's head off, I'll let you go with the IV in."

"Fine." She tried desperately not to growl.

"Dr. Scully?" Tegan found her in the infirmary after the debriefing.

"Yes?" Dana turned and smiled. "I told you before, it's Dana."

"Right." Tegan blushed. "I just wanted to apologize for earlier."

"For?"

"Look, I don't apologize often."

"I see you're still grumpy." Janet walked up behind her.

"Whatever."

"Thanks for coming back." She'd thought Tegan might pull one of her vanishing tricks.

"You told me to."

"I did." Janet nodded and turned to Dana. "You shouldn't let it get around that she apologized it might ruin her rep."

"Can I go to my lab?" Tegan asked Janet.

"No." The answer came in stereo.

"Let me guess," Tegan turned on Scully, "You wouldn't have let me go to my meeting?"

"Probably not." Scully pressed her lips together in a thin line and lifted an eyebrow.

Tegan sighed.

"You might as well pick a bed." Janet gave her the option.

"You're not keeping me over night." When she realized how much it sounded like a demand she added, "Are you?"

"I'm going home before your potassium drip will be finished, but I'll leave specific instructions for the next shift."

"Who's coming in?"

"Jenkins."

Tegan smiled.

"Don't get any ideas," Janet warned. "I did say specific instructions."

"What?"

"Don't act innocent."

"So, what are the 'instructions'?" Tegan made air quotes around the word.

"You're not to be released unless your potassium is back within normal limits." Janet glanced at Scully.

"That's a no brainer." Tegan grinned.

"And you won't be discharged if you've still got this attitude." She looked across the infirmary at Julie. "Sergeant Copley is pulling a twelve, and she's not going to let you get away with anything."

"Whatever." Tegan turned as shadow came running up. "Hey boy!"

"Sorry ma'am, he got away from me." The airman returning him apologized.

"Where've you been?" She knelt and gave him a healthy ear rub as it occurred to her she hadn't seen him since they'd returned to base.

"He was limping last night and this morning," Janet explained. "I asked Airman Fields to take him to the vet this morning to check it out."

"What did the vet say?" Tegan looked up.

"Minor sprain, he gave him a shot of cortisone to help with the inflammation ma'am."

"How much?"

"I took care of it." Janet addressed Airman Fields, "Thank you."

"You're welcome, ma'am." He took his cue to leave.

"He's my dog." Tegan stood up.

"And he was injured while in my care." Janet pointed out.

"That's beside the point."

"No it isn't. Besides it's already on my credit card."

"Another reason you should let me pay you back."

"You know I put it on my card to get points, and no end of discussion."

"Fine." Tegan turned around and headed for the door with IV pole in tow.

Janet cleared her throat. "Where do you think you're going?"

Tegan looked back with a sheepish look on her face. "I guess a shower's out of the question?"

"You don't want to pass out in the shower." Janet nodded.

"It's not that low."

"I don't think we've established just how low you're potassium has to be for your body to react, have we?"

Tegan rolled her eyes.

Dana pointed to the closet empty bed. "I really don't want to have to catch you."

Tegan looked at her for a second. "Too bad you two are almost the same height or I'd have to call you Janet's mini me."

"Don't be cruel." Janet admonished.

"Actually, I take it as a compliment." Dana let them both know she could hold her own.

Janet waited for Tegan to settle on the bed. "When you are discharged I'm sending you home on a potassium supplement."

Tegan opened her mouth but then thought better of it.

"You're young enough and your kidneys are healthy enough to filter out the excess, and I'd rather see you bordering on high."

Tegan nodded and turned her attention to Scully. "So what do you think of our facility?"

"It's a little overwhelming." She looked around. "And I think maybe my partner wasn't just paranoid."

"Yeah, maybe we'll find him."

"Unless there's a body there's always hope." Dana tucked her hair behind her ear.

"True." Tegan licked her lower lip and looked past her.

Janet turned to see the area she was staring at void of people. She turned back to see a mix of emotion swirling in lost green irises. She rested her hand gently on Tegan's knee. "Tegan?"

"Yeah," she responded softly.

Dana watched the interaction curiously.

"It's almost shift change; you know how to get me if you need anything."

"I do." Tegan never broke her gaze into the emptiness.

* * *

><p>Tegan walked into the infirmary the next morning carrying a mug filled with assorted packets of hot chocolate and a card sealed in an indigo envelope.<p>

"You shouldn't have," Janet commented as she approached.

"Good, because I didn't." Tegan smiled and handed the paraphernalia to Scully.

Dana pursed her lips together and wrinkled her brow before sitting the mug on an unoccupied bed. She slipped her index finger into a small opening and tore the side open in much the same way Tegan opened her letters.

On the front of the card was a brown cartoon style bear standing with his hands clasped, a toe kicking at the ground and his eyes down cast. Inside the card was "I'm sorry" printed in a child like font. Below was a note in Tegan's hand.

_Dana,_

_Sorry I was rude to you upon seeing you again yesterday. It really wasn't personal. Welcome to the mountain. I look forward to working with you and getting to know you better._

_Warmly,_

_Tegan_

_Warmly?_ Dana turned the word over in her head as she slipped the card back into the envelope. She looked up and smiled. "Apology accepted."

"Where's mine?"

Tegan turned to Janet, "You're the one who kept me here half the night."

"Dr. Scully would've done the same."

"Actually," Dana disagreed, "I would have kept her here all night."

"Well…" Tegan held her arm out. "If I let you draw my blood like a good little girl will you forgive me?"

"I'll think about it." Janet grinned.

Dana knocked on the slightly ajar door to Tegan's lab.

Tegan looked up. "Doc – Dana, what can I do for you?"

"Janet asked me to let you know you're potassium level is four point two."

"You could've called and saved yourself the trip."

"It's not that far to walk, and I needed to stretch my legs and give my eyes a rest." Scully looked over at Shadow who was listening with one ear while pretending to sleep.

"Give your eyes a rest? Reading up on Stargate Command?"

"A little bit of everything."

"Well thanks for letting me know." Tegan reached for her pen while still looking at Scully, when she felt the sharp ten blade breach the skin on her thumb she jerked back. "Ouch."

"Are you ok?"

Tegan grabbed some rough paper towels from above the sink and wrapped them around her entire thumb squeezing it tightly. "Yeah."

"You sure?"

Tegan turned her back and peeked at the wound. "Yup."

"Can I take a look at it?"

"It's minor. It doesn't need sutured."

Scully continued to hold her hand out in anticipation.

"It's no worse than a paper cut."

"Is it still bleeding?"

"I doubt it." Tegan let her remove the stiff paper they passed off for paper towels.

"Do you have any Band-Aids?"

Tegan pointed to the first aid kit.

"Even better." She paused as she started toward the kit on the wall. "Was that blade sterile?"

Tegan looked at the scalpel lying on the counter. She'd laid it out to prepare some samples to look at under the microscope, but she couldn't remember if she'd actually used it or not. She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't remember."

"It's your call, I can put antibiotic ointment on it, but I think it'd be safer to…"

"Four grams Rocephin IM."

Dana looked at her curiously for a second.

"I'm allergic to Penicillin." Tegan removed the ten blade from her scalpel and dropped it in the sharps guard. She turned to shadow. "I'm going to the infirmary, I'll be right back"

He lifted his head and listened before settling it back on his front paws.

"I still can't get over how well behaved he is."

"He came that way." Tegan glanced sideways at Dana. "How much do you know?"

"I've read your medical record since you've been stationed here, Major Carter's and Teal'c's. I'm also aware of Cassie's origin. There's still quite a bit I don't know."

"Shadow came from another planet, and he can sense Gou'ald symbiotes, so he's a pretty special mutt."

Dana held the infirmary door open for Tegan.

"What's wrong?" Janet looked up from a report she was reviewing when they came in.

"Minor cut, we're just being cautious." Scully answered as she went to find the Rocephin.

"I wasn't paying attention, reached for my pen and grabbed the blade of my scalpel instead. And I may have used it to prepare specimens earlier today."

"May have?" Janet's forehead wrinkled.

"I can't imagine I would have gotten it out if I didn't use it." She shrugged.

"Hey Kiser." Jack caught her in the hallway as she left the infirmary. "I was just in your lab."

"What can I do for you sir?" She turned to face him.

He gestured for her to continue walking. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm no longer biting off people's heads sir." She smiled lightly.

"That's good to know. Look we're doing a cookout at Fraiser's place Saturday to welcome the new doc."

"She's just a doctor."

"Ok." He approached it differently. "So we're getting together at Doc's place Saturday to celebrate getting out of another tight spot, and Dr. Scully will be there."

"I'm not jealous." Tegan pointed out self-consciously.

Jack gave her his patented 'I don't believe you for a second' nod. "So you're coming then?"

"What do you want me to bring?"

"Something sweet." He smiled.

"I thought I was sweet." She watched as he blushed. "Any requests?"

"Anything you want, I'm sure whatever it is it'll be a hit." He'd yet to meet one of her desserts he didn't like.


	2. Chapter 2

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Origins of Truth 2  
><strong>

"Hey?" Tegan looked up as Janet walked into her lab Friday morning.

"You stayed on base last night." She frowned lightly.

"I did."

"And you worked through the night."

"No –"

"Don't lie to me." Janet interrupted as if she'd come in expecting a fight.

"Would you let me finish?"

Janet nodded apologetically. "Sorry."

"I couldn't sleep, so I came in at four. I've already talked to Colonel O'Neill and I'm leaving around noon."

"Are you ok?" Janet asked.

"Why because I'm not working until eight or nine tonight?"

"No, because you said you didn't sleep last night."

"Two grams of Rocephin in both hips left me a little sore."

"Oh, sorry." Janet snickered slightly.

"Sure you are."

"Do you want to come over for dinner tonight?"

Tegan looked over at the machine that was whirling to her right.

"You need to eat, and we're doing a taco bar, Cassandra's pick."

"What time?"

"Seven."

"Can I bring anything?"

"Just a smile."

Tegan grinned lightly. "Alright."

A few hours later Tegan walked through the double doors of the infirmary.

"Are you alright?" Janet asked as soon as she spotted her.

"Yes." Tegan blushed lightly. "Is Dr. Scully around?"

"I'm right here." She stepped out from behind a curtain having just finished up a routine physical. When she saw Tegan she gave her a look of mock disapproval. "I've told you to call me Dana."

"I know what that thing was." Tegan held up her findings changing the subject. "Although I'm not sure you want to know."

"One of those Gou'ald things I've read about?" There was almost a hint of sarcasm.

"Yeah, actually it was. Except yours seems to never have matured correctly. I'm thinking from lack of a proper Jaffa incubation pouch. You might also be glad to know you don't have any residual markers in your system."

"Well I guess if there's good news about having a monster invade your spine and try to take over your central nervous system, that's it."

"Yeah, I guess it is." Tegan handed the report to Scully. "It a copy of my findings, which for obvious reasons can't leave base. I gave my findings to General Hammond and as soon as I find Colonel O'Neill I'm heading out."

"You're actually going to leave without putting in a full eight hours?" Janet could hardly believe it.

"I am." Tegan checked her watch.

"Hot date?" Dana asked and the look exchanged between Janet and Tegan.

"No, I think I'm going to go home and just chill."

"That's what she calls reading her back log of medical journals." Janet explained.

"Not today." Tegan yawned.

"Do you want me to keep him on base?" Janet referred to Shadow. "You can pick him up tonight when you come to dinner."

Tegan nodded. "Thanks."

* * *

><p>"Hey –" Came the one syllable greeting as Cassie opened the door.<p>

Tegan tilted her head down and peered over her Oakley Aviators at the teen, a giant smile engulfing her face.

"Ewwwww, what's that?" Cassie pointed to a container filled with something green and chunky sitting on top of the pie keeper in Tegan's hand.

"Its guacamole, and don't knock it 'til you've tried it." Tegan stepped through the doorway. "Where are you mom and Dana?"

"You're jealous." Cassie teased.

"I'm not jealous." Tegan turned back to the teen.

"Uh huh."

"Should I be?" Tegan tried to sound nonchalant.

"Nope; they just talk about residency a lot."

"That's good."

"I told you, you were jealous."

"Hush, I was just curious." Tegan shook her head and headed for the kitchen where she found Dana and Janet in the adjacent dinning room talking.

"Hey." Janet's eyes narrowed on the items in Tegan's hand. "I told you not to bring anything."

"Well, if you don't want it I'm sure the guys will eat it tomorrow." Tegan pulled open the fridge.

"I didn't say we wouldn't eat it." She watched Tegan bed over. "What is it anyway?"

"Lemon meringue pie with guacamole on the side."

"Sounds good." Dana smiled.

"Have you started house hunting yet?" Tegan straightened up and shut the door.

"I haven't decided if I want to tie myself to the area long term yet. I've looked at a couple of rentals."

"I told her she could stay here as long as she wanted." Janet chimed in.

Tegan nodded.

"Are you ready to eat?"

"Whenever, I'm starved." Tegan put her hand over her stomach to bring the point home.

"Well I just need to put the taco shells in the oven and pull stuff out of the fridge."

"Can I help?"

"No, I've got it." Janet moved past her. "You can let Shadow in, if he's ready to stop chasing leaves."

Cassie went in the living room with a plate of Oreos and a glass of milk after she and Tegan had cleaned up the dishes. Tegan served the lemon meringue pie and Janet poured coffee for her and Dana.

"This is really good." Dana moaned after the first bite.

Tegan blushed. "Thanks."

"Homemade?"

"Yes." Tegan looked over at Janet who was staring at her. "Do I have meringue on my nose or something?"

"No."

"Ok," Dana broke the silence. "I've wanted to ask this for a while now. There's really no easy way to ask it, so I'm just going to come out and ask it…"

"Don't ask don't tell." Janet interrupted.

Tegan glanced between the two suddenly feeling uneasy.

"You do know the president would like to put a bill before congress to allow gays to serve openly in the military." Dana pointed out.

"'Askin' ain't a gettin'.'" Janet pulled out her southern draw.

"Gone With the Wind? Seriously?" Tegan shook her head and looked at Dana. "To answer your unasked question, yes; although I don't know that either of us…" Her voice trailed off.

"You don't think either of us what?" Janet prodded, causing Dana to feel a little uneasy.

"You already know you're the only person I've ever loved. And before you I wouldn't have classified myself as gay."

"And you would now?"

"All I know is I love you, ok?"

Janet stood up and took her empty dessert plate to the kitchen without responding.

"It's no big secret," Tegan explained to Dana. "I mean it is, but a fair amount of people on base know about it. They also know what's classified."

"Tegan's job isn't in jeopardy. She's going to have to be dead before the military will let her go."

"What?" Tegan looked at her like she'd lost her mind.

"You know as well as I do that they aren't going to just let you resign, and you'd have to do more than just sleep with a bunch of women to be discharged."

"Look you're the one who went to the General about the relationship when I asked you not to." She looked at Dana. "We're careful, because I don't want Janet to lose her job or benefits."

Dana nodded. "Well the secret's safe with me. I wasn't sure, but sometimes the tension between you two… anyway just thought I'd clarify."

Tegan yawned. "I hate to eat and run but I beat. I think I'm going to call it an early night."

Dana picked up both of their saucers and went into the kitchen.

"Thanks Dana I'll see you tomorrow." Tegan poked her head into the living room as she passed. "See you tomorrow Cass."

"Not me you won't." The teen glanced away from the TV for a second. "I'm spending the night with a friend."

"Well have fun."

"Tegan," Janet called after her as she reached the front door.

"Yeah?" Tegan turned around to see Janet approaching with her Oakleys.

"You left your sunglasses in the dinning room."

"Thanks, and thanks for dinner tonight." She leaned in and Janet stepped back.

"Cassandra and Dana are in the other room." She muttered.

"They both know."

"That doesn't mean Dana wants to see us kiss."

Tegan looked around. "She can't see us, and it hasn't stopped you before, at least not with Sam."

"I'll see you tomorrow." Janet turned and headed to join Dana and Cassie in the living room.

* * *

><p>"Where's Tegan?" Janet looked at her watch for the tenth time in as many minutes.<p>

"I'm sure she'll be here, otherwise she would've called." Daniel assured her.

"But it's not like her to be late."

"As long as she's here in time for dessert, she's not late in my book." Jack looked over from the grill as Shadow came bounding out the door. "Speak of the devil."

"You're late." Janet turned as Tegan stepped through the door.

"I've got brownies and blondies," Tegan announced. "There's also homemade peach ice cream in the freezer."

"See now you have to forgive her for being late." Sam pulled a bottle of IBC root beer out of the cooler and handed it to Tegan.

"Thanks." She frowned as her cell phone started ringing. Janet watched as she pulled it out and checked the number before turning it on. "Hello? – Are you going to keep calling me every five minutes? Because I can turn my phone off."

"Who was that?" Janet asked.

"No one important." Tegan silenced her phone and shoved it deep into her back pocket.

"Doc two, how do you want your steak?" Jack turned to Dana who was getting ready to toss Shadow's ball across the yard.

"Well done."

Tegan lifted an eyebrow as she twisted the cap off her drink.

No one was entirely sure how they'd let Jack talk them into a game of truth or dare, but there they all were after filling their stomachs beyond capacity sitting on the grass with a bottle on top of the cooler in the center. Tegan had just spun the bottle and it had come to stop on Janet. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth." She still couldn't believe she'd agreed to play the stupid frat house game without being plastered.

"Ok." Tegan thought for a second picking what she thought was a completely innocent question. She'd never played games like these, one of the joys of being an outcast brainy kid, so she didn't know how some questions can come back to bite you later in the game. "Who is your best friend?"

"You, and Sam, and Dana. I've known Dana the longest, and of course there's Sam." She looked at Sam before looking back at Tegan. "And you're my girlfriend so you're my best friend on several levels."

Tegan nodded.

"My turn?" Janet asked as she pointed to the bottle.

"Yup." Jack grinned.

"I still do not get the meaning of this game." Teal'c looked at Daniel.

"If you drank it might make a little more sense." Daniel shrugged.

Tegan watched as the bottle turned, while Dana secretly hoped it didn't land on her, even knowing Janet's questions would probably be mild compared to the ones a drunk Jack was bound to ask. When the bottle landed back on Janet she spun it again this time with more conviction. It spun several times before slowing and coming to a stop on Tegan.

"Fate." Jack smiled.

"Truth or dare?" Janet posed.

"Umm, truth."

"Would you ever sleep with Dana?" The question had come out before her brain had time to tell her mouth to disengage.

Tegan stared at Scully. Scully watched her expression with interest. Janet's stomach churned like a stormy sea, and she wished she'd chosen a different question. Time seemed to expand before Tegan looked back at her.

"Honestly;" Tegan's brow lifted. "I've never thought about it."

"Yes or no, Kiser." Jack finished off yet another beer. Ignoring the glares from the women he smiled. "I'd do…"

"Colonel," Sam warned as Janet stood up and walked inside.

"I think that's my cue to follow." Tegan stood up. "Excuse me."

"Janet?" Tegan closed the sliding glass door behind her and found Janet standing at the counter between the kitchen and dinning room with her back turned.

"You didn't answer the question and you hesitated."

"You have to realize I don't look at people in that way. I don't see a beautiful person and think man I want a piece of that."

"You don't even think that about me."

"Excuse me?" Tegan shook her head. "It was you who turned down a good night kiss last night."

"I explained why."

"Look." She waited until Janet turned to face her. "I love you more fully and completely than I do or ever have loved anyone."

"I know you do."

"Is it not enough?"

Janet stood there, her inability to answer burning a hole somewhere deep inside of Tegan's soul.

"I need to go get Shadow and head home." Tegan opened the door leading to the back yard to find everyone sitting exactly as she had left them. "I think next time we should play scrabble. I'll see you all Monday I'm sure. Come on Shadow."

"Tegan?"

"I'm fine Sam."

"Are you ok to drive?" Scully asked somehow feeling like she was the root of the whole thing.

"I haven't been drinking." Tegan turned to see the concern in Scully's eyes. Maybe if there wasn't a Janet. She shook the thought from her head, it wasn't even an option. "I'm fine."

"Call me when you get home," Janet requested as Tegan walked past.

"You don't have to worry about me, I'm a big girl. If it's not enough," She lowered her voice so only Janet could hear her. "Then just call the whole thing off."

"Is that what you want?"

"What I want is for you to stop doubting that I love you; even more than that I want you to be happy. So whatever it takes, if that means I can't have you, then just let me know."

A few minutes after Tegan left Daniel stood up. "We should get out of here. Come on Jack, Teal'c and I will give you a ride home."

"I know how to drive."

"Not tonight you don't." Sam held up his keys.

"Fine," He grumbled as he stumbled to his feet.

"See you Monday." Daniel said goodbye.

"Thanks for coming." Janet nodded.

"Sorry we couldn't finish our game." Jack needlessly apologized.

"I believe the game was over," Teal'c observed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Origins of Truth 3  
><strong>

Sam left after helping clean up and Janet and Scully retired to the living room. They sat there for a while in silence, until Dana spoke. "When's the last time you got laid?"

Janet looked at her.

"It's a legitimate question between friends."

"It's not the sex that's the problem, if it were Tegan and I never would have gotten together."

"She's shy." Scully had seen Tegan for what she was behind her tough professional exterior. "And maybe a little scarred?"

Janet nodded only slightly. "Would you…"

"Would I?" Scully laughed, she knew exactly what Janet was asking. "If you and Tegan weren't an item, I'd do her in a New York minute. I wouldn't even have to think twice. Why do you think I asked about you two the other night? I'd do you too, but ask yourself this; if you two weren't a couple would you do Sam?"

"What?"

"I've seen the way you two interact."

"Sam and I are just really good friends."

"So are you and I."

"Sam's straight." Janet acted like that would be the end of the discussion.

"Is she?" Scully shrugged with her eyebrows. "As I remember so were you once."

Janet was quiet.

"Ok, honestly if you and Tegan weren't dating would I have a shot with you?"

"Yeah."

"Then you can't be mad at Tegan for hesitating. She was honest. Most people lie through their teeth when they play truth or dare. And I can tell you Janet, by the way she looked at me, she'd never thought about it before tonight."

Janet looked at her watch. "She hasn't called yet."

"Smothering?"

"No, just concerned."

"Smothering." Scully nodded.

"Hi you've reached my answering machine – you know what to do." Beep!

"Tegan its Janet, please call me. We need to talk."

Shadow looked from Tegan to the phone and back.

"No, I'm not going to call her back." Tegan looked away from his pitiful eyes turned the volume up on her stereo and went back to reading up on what was new in the world of Science.

Across town Cassie turned on the stereo, one of Tegan's college a ccapella CDs started playing :

"Hey you, out there on your own  
>Sitting naked by the phone<br>Would you touch me?  
>Hey you, with you ear against the wall<br>Waiting for someone to call out  
>Would you touch me?"<p>

"Cassandra, change the CD or cut it off." Janet called out from the kitchen.

"Just because you and Tegan are fighting doesn't mean I should have to suffer." Cassie turned the stereo off and walked into the kitchen. "What are you two fighting over anyway? Because she's jealous?"

"She's not jealous." Janet slammed the refrigerator door shut. "She's hard headed and won't return my calls."

Before the day was over there were three more messages left by Janet.

"Just in case you didn't get my first message, call me."

"Tegan come on, if you're home pick up. And why aren't you answering your cell?"

She'd even ignored it when she'd seen both Sam's and Scully's numbers come up on the caller ID.

"Look this is the last time I call before I get in the car and come over. You're starting to worry me." Janet hung up, it was a little after ten and she wasn't sure whether to be mad or worried as the phone rang. "Tegan?"

"I'm fine, and I will see you tomorrow."

"We need to talk."

"Not tonight." Tegan rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I can't have this discussion with you tonight."

"Fine, good night."

"I love you." Tegan spoke softly but wasn't sure if Janet had heard her when she heard the click in her ear. It didn't matter if Janet dumped her tonight or tomorrow, she wasn't going to get any sleep anyway. Had she known Janet would be up all night crying she would have let her dump her then, instead they both spent a restless night wishing that the sun would hurry up and rise.

* * *

><p>"We need to talk." Janet walked into Tegan's lab Monday morning without so much as a hello.<p>

"I'm working?" She looked up from the microscope. "It's really not a good time."

"I know, so how about dinner tonight?"

"When? Where?"

"Some place quite? I'll call and get us reservations in a corner booth at that new Italian place we've been meaning to try."

"I don't know, dinner seems overkill."

"You want to talk about this here?" Janet looked up at the security camera.

"No, but I don't feel like dinner, please just…" She looked back down at her work.

"Are you giving up?"

Tegan looked up locking eyes with Janet. "No, I'm in this for the long haul, so if you want to end it then you have to call it quits." She paused, "Because I'm not giving up on us."

"Fair enough." Janet walked out.

"Fair enough, what the hell does that mean?" She mumbled and looked back into the microscope. This wasn't working, she was about to cut the microscope off when the phone rang. "Kiser? – Really, that's great. – No I can be there in an hour, I just need to clear it with Colonel O'Neill."

* * *

><p>"RedIce, you are cleared for take off." She heard Tower One in her ears. She took a deep breath, it felt great to get back in the saddle. She pulled the throttle back and hoped she'd land feeling grounded and ready to fight for what she really wanted.<p>

At lunch time Janet turned on the monitor to Tegan's lab expecting to find her hard at work, instead all the lights were off and she was no where to be found. She headed off to find Colonel O'Neill but spotted Sam in the infirmary stealing a curved Kelly clamp. "Have you seen Tegan?"

"Nope, I've been working on a reactor core all day." Sam held up her loot and headed out the door with Janet behind her.

Teal'c and Daniel were in the hall and Janet stopped them. "Have you two seen Tegan?"

"No." Daniel didn't even look up from the hieroglyphic chart he was perusing as he almost ran into the short woman.

"Nor have I." Teal'c bowed lightly.

"Thanks."

"You should ask Colonel O'Neill."

"I'm heading that way now Teal'c."

"He's in the mess hall." Daniel called after her.

As soon as she spotted Jack with Shadow sitting at his feet in the mess hall she knew he'd have an answer. "I'm looking for Major Kiser."

"She went to Peterson, some flight hours came open and she jumped on them."

She'd landed after two hours when another pilot who'd taken the morning off needed the plane back. She stopped in the chow hall and was just leaving when she heard someone shout her call sign. "RedIce!"

She turned to face Colonel Rush. "Sir."

"As you were Major."

"Yes sir."

"I've got a 22 Raptor that just came out of routine maintenance it's just dying to be taken up."

"Seriously?"

"You know the controls right?"  
>"Like the back of my hand sir."<p>

"I've got you on the flight manifest for thirteen-thirty hours."

"Thank you sir." She tried not to grin too broadly.

"I just know you wanted to get some extra flight hours in."

"Yes sir, I appreciate it."

"She's my baby so you'd better return her in one piece."

"Of course sir, not a scratch on her."

Tegan grabbed her flight gear and found a phone.

"You've reached the voicemail for Dr. Janet Fraiser. Please leave your name and number and I'll get back to you at my earliest convenience." Beep!

"Janet, hey, just wanted to let you know I picked up some extra flight hours for this afternoon. It's a really sweet jet. Yeah I know, I sound like I'm going to catch a wave or something." She paused. "Look, I'm really sorry about earlier. Maybe we can do dinner tomorrow night if you're free? I don't expect you to clear your calendar just for me though. And I meant what I said, I'm not giving up, and I hope you aren't either."

She would have ended with 'love you' but she ran out of recording time.

She'd been flying for about twenty minutes when she noticed black smoke pouring out from her right engine. "Tower one, this is RedIce come in. Tower one this is RedIce do you copy."

"RedIce we copy."

"Tower one I've got black smoke coming from my right engine." She looked to her left. "Correction, I have black smoke coming from both engines. Request an emergency flight path."

Before they could respond Tegan's voice came across the airwaves again. "Tower one, I've lost my right engine – Shit! Something just fell out of the left engine. I'm going down!"

"RedIce eject, I repeat eject." The flight controller was on his feet now looking at the radar blips, sweat beading up on his bald head.

"I've got to find a safe place for her to go down. Shit!"

"RedIce, eject! Eject!"

She managed to turned the plane before reaching for the eject handle that was just out of reach.


	4. Chapter 4

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Origins of Truth 4**

Shadow paced the infirmary floor even though he'd just been taken topside for a relief walk. Janet turned to the Airmen who'd walked him. "Did he go?"

"Yes ma'am." He blushed. "He took care of all of his business ma'am."

"What is it?" She looked at him a lead anvil weighing down her own stomach. "I wish you could talk, I hate it when you do this."

Scully looked at her funny and Janet opened her mouth to explain about his and Tegan's unique bond when the klaxon's began to blare over head. "Colonel O'Neill you have a call on line two, Colonel O'Neill line two."

"That's never good." Janet started pacing knowing it wouldn't do any good for her to go trying to track him down.

Fifteen minutes later Sam walked into the infirmary and turned on a TV. "Colonel O'Neill just got a call that Tegan's plane went down. We're going to join the search that's already in progress. I wish I had more information."

"Was she able to eject?" Janet looked as Shadow sat down in front of the TV.

"I don't know." Sam looked at Dana who nodded assuring her she would stay with Janet until they heard anything more.

"… If you are just joining us, a little over twenty minutes ago a military jet went down leaving debris in a quiet residential neighborhood. One eye witness said he saw the plane make a sharp turn before slamming into the side of a mountain. It is believed the pilot was trying to avoid causing any casualties on the ground. It is unknown at this time if the pilot was able to eject. The aircraft was an unarmed F/A 22 Raptor, the pilot's whose name has not been released was out for routine training, and we are told was a veteran fighter pilot…."

Janet stared in shock as the news helicopter flew over the burning wreckage where the plane had gone down. "She's ok. Shadow's calm, she's fine."

Janet kept telling herself that as minutes turned into hours.

"… The search for the pilot of the F/A 22 Raptor is continuing as night falls, but with darkness comes falling temperatures and the possibility that the injured pilot could already be in shock and easily slip into a state of hypothermia…"

SG1 was informed that Major Kiser's homing beacon never turned on following the crash. "But we haven't found any human remains at the crash site. And in case you're wondering, there wasn't enough jet fuel left for a high burn, so we should have at least found bones at the site had she not been able to eject."

* * *

><p>"Shit," Tegan moaned her arms were asleep from where her chute harness was cutting into her armpits. Had she been able to reach her field knife she'd still have to think about cutting her self out and falling the remaining thirty five yards to the ground. At least for now the Ponderosa pine seemed to be content to hold her there.<p>

She was tired, cold and it was getting dark. The moments since ejecting were fuzzy. Did she hit her head? She lifted a numb arm carefully not to dislodge her parachute from the branches. Her helmet was still on. Had her GPS tracker turned on, what about her cell phone it had GPS right? She mentally kicked herself, her phone was in an unmarked locker back at Peterson Air Base and now that she thought about it the homing beacon was in several pieces at the base of the tree. She'd seen it there earlier.

Her ribs hurt, but not as bad as her left leg that had slammed into several branches as she crashed into the top of the pine. She just wanted to close her eyes and wake up after they found her and had transferred her to the capable hands of Janet. She knew that was the shock talking and tried to concentrate on staying awake. "100, 99, 98… 49, 50, wait that's not right, what comes after 49 backwards?"

* * *

><p>"You need to eat." Scully pointed out at eight.<p>

"I can't."

"You need something."

Janet shook her head no and headed to her office to play the Tegan's message again. She sounded so up beat and different than she had that morning.

"Marcus can you run down to the cafeteria and pick up a turkey sandwich and regular coke for Dr. Fraiser?"

Marcus nodded.

"I told you I can't eat right now." Janet looked up when Dana came in.

She sat the sandwich and drink on Janet's desk. "Fine I'll eat it, and I'll be the one to check her over for injuries when they find her."

"I'm your boss."

"Yes, and as my boss and the CMO of this facility you need to be on top of your game when she comes in."

"You're right." Janet took half the sandwich off the plate.

"Hopefully she'll be fine, and you won't have to do more than check her out." Though they both knew the likelihood of that happening was dwindling by the second.

* * *

><p>"Porter quaffed down with a laugh.<br>The gentry have their aching livers.  
>Water is all right in tea,<br>For fish, and things that swim in rivers."

It was one of the few Irish pub songs she knew, something she'd found on a Clancy Brothers tape in the attic as a kid. It was easier to remember at the moment than how to count backwards from one hundred. She started at the beginning again:

"The French drink wine, the English tea.  
>The Yankee drinks his hot black coffee.<br>The child drinks milk nine times a day.  
>The Scotsman sips his whiskey toddy.<br>You can keep you wine and keep your tea!  
>My curse on him that brings me coffee!<br>I'll drink porter, if I may."

* * *

><p>Daniel let out a primal scream; "Argh! I feel like we're walking in circles."<p>

"We're doing a grid search Daniel." Jack hid his own frustration.

"How long have we been looking?" Sam rubbed her face.

"Not long enough Carter."

"I'm not giving up; I'm just trying to figure out how long she's been out here."

"We're better off not knowing," Daniel sighed. "Every hour that passes is another nail in her coffin."

"That's just morbid Danny." Jack swept the area in front of him with his light.

"I do believe Major Kiser is alive."

"We all do Teal'c," Daniel muttered.

"It's been twelve hours." Janet looked at the clock on the wall. She jumped to her feet as General Hammond walked in.

"As you were doctor; I just came down to let you know they are still looking. They're ninety-five percent sure she ejected. But her GPS tacking unit seems to have malfunctioned."

"Ninety-five percent, sir?"

"They didn't find any remains at the crash site." General Hammond excused himself with the promise of updating them when had anything more to go on.

"If she's in shock…"

"Don't even go there," Scully warned already knowing what the odds were, and aware of the implications.

* * *

><p>Tegan had gone through all the easy songs early on. "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night, "Splish Splash," "Purple People Eater," "Henry the Eighth," "Yellow Polka Dot Bikini," etc.<p>

She hit the musicals singing every song she could remember from each one, "Annie," "The King and I," "South Pacific," "Rent," "Evita," "Phantom of the Opera," "_Les Misérables_," "The Music Man," and "Hair."

She sang songs for the King of Rock, and then the King of Pop. She sang everything she knew by ABBA. She moved to the queen of soul. Now she was so cold and tired and decided this was the last song, and then she was going to take a short nap. She thought Gloria Gaynor would serve her well.

"First I was afraid  
>I was petrified<br>Kept thinking I could never live  
>without you by my side"<p>

It was hard to sing, her teeth chattered and the words seemed stuttered.

* * *

><p>"Another couples hours and the sun will be up." Daniel looked at his watch. It had been just over 14 hours since her plane went down.<p>

"Did you hear that?" Sam stopped them.

"I've got all my life to live  
>I've got all my love to give<br>and I'll survive  
>I will survive"<p>

The sound was distant, the words slurred.

"I don't think she's in key." That concerned Jack but he smiled all the same; she was still alive for the moment. "Kiser!"

Now she knew she was in shock, and all she wanted to do was go to sleep, but did she really have to start hallucinating.

"Kiser!"

"What?" She grumbled. "Leave me alone."

"Tegan!" This time it was Sam's voice, and it sounded closer.

_Great, _she thought. _Now I'm seeing giant fireflies and they know my name. _Then it dawned on her, they weren't giant fireflies, they were flashlights and they were almost directly beneath her.

"It's about time you all joined the party."

Sam shone her light up the tree hearing Tegan's voice from above her. "She's over here."

"Kiser," Jack called up. "How are you?"

"I could use my down comforter and a cup of hot cocoa."

"We'll put in a request." Jack pulled his walkie talkie up to his lips. "We've found her. I'm turning on my tracker now. We're going to need rescue equipment; she's currently hanging a little over thirty yards up in a tree."

"How'd you get up in that tree any way?" Colonel O'Neill called up to her after telling Sam to call General Hammond and give him and Janet an update.

"I don't…"

"Come on Kiser, talk to me."

"I held on for you sir."

"Yes you did, but I need you to hold just a little longer."

"They spiked your tea."

"We made it through that one, remember Kiser?"

"Yeah." She closed her eyes.

"Kiser!"

"I'm tired."

* * *

><p>Janet jumped when the phone rang. "Fraiser."<p>

"Janet, we found her," Sam spoke on the other end.

"How is she?"

"She's currently hanging in a tree; we've got a rescue team with equipment coming in. They're fifteen to twenty minutes out, at least. Assuming they can find a place to put the helicopter down nearby."

"Is she conscious?"

"She is. Jack's trying to keep her talking. She's tired and cold. Other than that, I've got no way of accessing her injuries right now."

"Thanks Sam."

"Yeah, uh – I'm pretty sure we'll be air lifting her back to base. Either Colonel O'Neill or I will call you when we're in transit."

"Colonel Rush is…"

"He's what Tegan?" Jack looked at Sam as she hung up. It was getting harder and harder to keep her talking.

Even in her current state she picked up on his use of her first name, he was worried and even though she should be, she wasn't. She was just too tired to worry.

"Tegan?"

"Sling." Her teeth chattered. "My ass."

"No," He reassured her. "I don't think you have anything to worry about. Right now he'll just be glad to hear you're alright."

"Tegan?" Sam waited for an answer. "Tegan!"

"Hmmm?"

"You've got to stay awake," Sam reminded.

"Just five minutes." Her words continued to slur. "Sun not up."

"Kiser, stay awake – that's an order."

She groaned.

"What hurts?" Sam asked.

"Don't… know… can't… feel… much."

"Spinal cord injury?" Daniel looked at Sam.

"No," Tegan answered. "Harness… cut… circ…"

"Circulation?"

"Yes." She let her eyes drift shut again.

"Kiser."

"Still here."

"Say something." Jack tried not to panic. He'd climb the tree and pull her out himself if it were possible.

"Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree… counting all the monkeys he can see… Stop… Kookaburra… stop… Kookaburra that's no monkey that's me."


	5. Chapter 5

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Origins of Truth 5**

Sam jumped out of the helicopter before the paramedic who started reporting to Janet. "Pupils are equal and reactive, blood pressure is sixty-eight over thirty-six, pulse is one-forty weak and thready. We started D5NS in the field and we've got her wrapped in blankets, but she's still only registering a body temperature of ninety-four point two."

"Hey." Janet smiled when they unloaded Tegan from the Medivac helicopter.

"I'm cold."

"We're going to get you inside and warm, and get you stabilized, ok?" Janet nodded to security as she and Sam started wheeling Tegan in. She turned back to the flight medics. "Thanks, we've got it from here."

"Tegan," Scully spoke in the elevator.

"Hmmm?"

"Just making sure you're still with us."

"Tired," She mumbled.

"Tegan, hey?" Janet shone a pen light in her eyes once they got her into the infirmary.

"Hey." She moved her head away.

"Did you hit your head?"

"I," She paused. It was too hard to think. "I don't think – I don't really know."

"You've got some abrasions on your face." Scully pointed out hoping to jog her memory.

"Pine branches."

Sam handed her flight helmet to Janet. "It's in good shape, no cracks; so if she hit the canopy it probably protected her head."

"Hard head." Tegan's voice cracked.

"Yes it is." Janet nodded in agreement.

"I'm cold."

"I know." Janet looked over at the monitor where she could see Tegan's core body temperature on the readout; it had only come up by two tenths of a degree. " Andrews is sitting up a warming blanket, you're still hypothermic."

"'Kay."

"Sam said you complained of numbness earlier?"

"Cold."

"Yes," Janet glanced at Scully worriedly. "We just touched on that."

"No, cold and…" She had to think. "My harness was blocking circulation."

"I'm going to take off your boots." Scully moved to the foot of the bed.

"Be careful, left leg… hurts."

"Let's hold off until we get x-rays." Janet brushed hair away from one of the abrasions on Tegan's cheek. "What else hurts?"

"Everything, I feel like I fell out of the sky."

"At least her sense of humor is still intact," General Hammond announced his presence. "How are you doing Major?"

"I've actually been better, sir."

"I'm sure you have." He looked at the two doctors who'd been interrupted by his entrance. "I just wanted to stop in before I join Colonels O'Neill and Rush for a pre-press conference meeting."

"Tell Colonel Rush I'm sorry about his plane."

"You don't have anything to apologize for, Major. But I will relay the message."

"Janet." Tegan's voice was soft as the General departed.

"Yes?" Janet took her hand in hers.

"Did you get my message?"

"I don't think we'll be doing dinner tonight."

"Sorry."

"Unless you intentionally crashed the plane, don't worry about it."

"I don't mean dinner."

"We'll deal with it later, ok?"

"My ribs hurt too."

"Alright." Janet wondered why Tegan was so forth coming with her injuries but decided not to question it. "We're going to get chest and leg films and a head and abdominal CT scan. I want to rule out any internal injuries. After that you can get some sleep, but we're still going to need to wake you to do neuro checks."

"Necessary evil."

"Yes it is."

"Tegan?" Janet gently woke her up after reviewing her x-rays and CT scans.

"Hmm?" She moaned lightly.

"I didn't see any evidence of intracranial bleeding, but I still want to do neuro checks to be safe."

"You woke me up to tell me that?" She grumbled.

"No." Janet laughed lightly. "It's time to do your neuro check. You also managed to crack your Tibia length wise, and you've got a hair line fracture of your fibula. I think it will do fine without setting it, but I want to go ahead and get it casted. Plus you managed to mess your ribs up pretty bad."

"I don't remember 'mess up' from medical terminology."

"You've got several fractures, but none are displaced." Janet looked up at Tegan's temperature which had come up to ninety-six.

"So;" Tegan drew her attention back. "Fix me up doc."

* * *

><p>"You wanted to see me, sir?" Janet stood in General Hammond's office having been told by Colonel O'Neill she was being beckoned.<p>

"Please, have a seat." He folded his hands neatly on his desk blotter while Janet took the proffered seat. "How is Major Kiser?"

"She has a fractured leg and broken ribs, possibly a mild concussion. But she should recover without any residual effects."

He nodded. "How long before you discharge her?"

"Possibly in the next twenty-four hours, but she'll need a great deal of care. I'm not sure she'll be able to return to work even limited duty until her leg and ribs are completely healed."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I want you to take care of her when she's discharged."

Jack must have talked to him after Janet had expressed her concern over Tegan's mobility issues. With the broken ribs, crutches would pretty much be out of the question.

"I was going to look into getting home health care to come in during the day while I'm at work sir."

"I'm not asking you to take leave. As strange of a request as it is, I'm asking you to take care of her. I realize Dr. Scully hasn't been here that long but the mission schedule for the next couple of weeks is extremely light. She can take care of things and you can make sure Sergeant Copley is scheduled to work with her." It was another clue that this wasn't entirely General Hammond's idea; He wouldn't know which of Janet's staff was her most trusted and knowledgeable on his own, not with everything else he was in charge of. "It will be a good chance to break her in, and you'll be on call and can continue your other duties from home."

Her other duties, as in staffing issues, the worst part of being CMO in her opinion.

It wasn't like he was giving her a choice, and she had been trying to figure out how to rearrange the schedules so either she or Dana would be with Tegan. So it really was an answer to her dilemma. "Yes sir."

"Is there a problem doctor?"

"No sir, its fine sir." She smiled lightly.

"Very well, I'll let you get back to work."

"Thank you sir."

"How'd you sleep?" Janet found Tegan propped up in bed picking at her breakfast.

"Your goons woke me up every hour to squeeze their fingers and shine a light in my eyes." She grumbled lightly.

"You mean they didn't ask you stupid questions?"

"Yes, they did that too." She pushed her eggs across the plate.

Janet smiled softly. "Well, I slept fine."

"I'm glad." She was sincere. "You were up longer than I was."

"I bet that looked better before." Janet pointed at Tegan's tray.

"Eh?" She scrunched her face in disgust.

"Well, I brought you a Strawberry bagel with cream cheese."

"Fat free?"

"Yep."

"I'll take it." She grinned.

"There is a catch."

"You really don't want me to go home with you."

"I don't?" She could read the self berating expression even though Tegan tried to hide it. "Of course I do."

Tegan shook her head no.

"Tegan?"

"You don't have to bribe me."

"Really?" She was so used to having to persuade and even blackmail her into going home with her it was becoming second nature.

"Where will I sleep?"

"Unfortunately you're not going to be able to do stairs for quite a while, so I'm afraid you get the pull out."

Tegan had slept on Janet's sofa bed more than once and it was surprisingly comfortable.

"And at least for a couple weeks I'm borrowing an army cot so I can sleep downstairs with you."

"You can't sleep on an army cot and go to work the next day."

"You sleep on the hard ground when you're off world."

"I'm used to it," Tegan countered.

"Well I'm going to be working from home so it's no big deal."

"I don't need a baby sitter."

"I didn't say I was baby sitting you. Besides you haven't even tried to get up yet."

"Are you going to give me that bagel before the cream cheese goes out of date?"

Janet handed the bagel over.

"So, when am I getting out of here?" Tegan asked around a mouth full of bagel.

"Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c are going to help me get you home after work today."

Tegan nodded. "I have a twin size air mattress in my guest room closet; it'll be a lot more comfortable than an army cot. Or you could just sleep…"

Janet smiled when Tegan's voice trailed off. "Not that I don't want too, but you've got broken ribs and I've got another house guest."

* * *

><p>Janet tried to get Tegan to take something for pain before they left base, and then again when they were in the car. In typical Tegan style, she had refused. Janet had wrapped her ribs but it did little to decrease the pain. Jack and Teal'c lifted her as carefully as possible in and out of the car, and carried her in the wheelchair up Janet's front steps. After she'd settled on the couch Dana managed to talk her into taking Flexeril, a muscle relaxer. That had been a little over an hour ago.<p>

Tegan had been sleeping for about fifteen minutes when she sat up on the couch with a groan.

"What's wrong?" Dana moved into her field of vision.

"I've got to go to the bathroom." She looked around.

"Let me get Janet so we can help you get in the wheelchair."

"I don't need a wheelchair, I'm fine."

"You've got a broken leg." Scully pointed to the fiberglass cast.

"It's not broken." Tegan looked at the cast for a second. "It's just heavy."

Scully stepped forward pulling her pen light out of her pocket. "What's your name and rank?"

"Dr. Tegan Kiser, Major US Air Force."

"And your date of birth?"

Tegan thought for a second. "Hell if I know."

"Janet?" Dana called into the kitchen where she was emptying the dishwasher.

"Yeah?" Janet stepped into the living room drying her hands on a green and white checked dish towel.

"We've got a problem." She looked back at Tegan. "Do you know who I am?"

"Dr. Scully." She looked at Janet who was rounding the corner of the couch. "And that's Janet. Now can I go to the bathroom?"

"We need to get you in the wheelchair."

"I told you, my leg isn't broken, it's just a little heavy."

Dana looked at Janet and raised her eyebrows while cutting her eyes back to Tegan.

"Who's your commanding officer?" Janet questioned.

"You sometimes act like it's you, but Colonel Jack O'Neill is."

Janet nodded. "And your date of birth?"

It must have been important if they both wanted to know, so she thought for a minute before a look of grief stricken horror gripped at her features. "I killed her."

"Tegan." Janet's voice was calming.

"I killed her." Tears started streaming down her face. "On my birthday, I killed her."

"Shhhh, it's ok," Janet reassured.

"No! No, it's not." Tegan's agitation continued to grow. "I killed her."

Janet saw Scully's pen light and took it from her hand as Cassie came down the stairs and into the entry way. "What's going on?"

"It's ok Cassandra." Janet assured her even though she wasn't sure herself.

"I killed her."

"Tegan, calm down." Janet shone the light into her right eye and then her left. She gave Scully a look of relief as she handed the pen light back. "You didn't kill her Tegan."

"Yes I did. He said I did." She continued to cry a mixture of both the physical pain and emotional torment. "I killed her."

Not wanting to hurt her but not knowing what else to do, Janet wrapped her arms around Tegan and held her tightly. "It's ok."

Eventually Tegan fell asleep again and Dana helped Janet lay her back down with her only slightly stirring. An effect of the medication, just being that drained or a combination.

"She's ok Cassandra." Janet looked back at the teen who was still standing guard in the entry way. "I think it was the medication she took."

Cassie nodded before heading back up stairs.

"You think it's from the Flexeril?" Dana was curious about the entire display.

"I've never given it to her before, so I don't know. But she has an interesting history. Her mother died in child birth and her father has blamed her, her entire life. He calls her every year on her birthday to accuse her of murdering her mother."

"Is that why he tried to kill her?" Scully remembered reading it in her medical record.

"Yeah, pretty much I think.

Dana just shook her head.

"Janet?" Tegan called out a couple of hours later.

"Hey," Janet called back as she ran from the dinning room to the living room.

"I need to go to the bathroom." She hated that she couldn't do the simplest things for herself.

"Sure, do you remember where you are?"

"Your house." She acted like it was the stupidest question anyone had ever asked her.

"You got a little confused earlier, maybe from the Flexeril?"

"Yeah, my head feels a little woozy."

"Need help?" Dana walked in.

"Yeah, if you can help me get her in the chair." Janet pointed to the wheelchair.

"Are you hungry?" Janet asked after they got her back on the couch.

"I hurt too bad to eat right now."

"Can I get you something to drink?"

"Coke?"

"Stomach upset?" Janet asked.

"Maybe a little." Tegan nodded.

"Alright, I'll be right back."

"Can I do anything for you?" Cassie came in.

Tegan shook her head no. "Where's Shadow?"

"I just let him out back. He was asleep with you earlier."

"Thanks." Tegan smiled at the teen as she turned to leave.

Janet came back in with a glass of Coke over ice and a saucer with saltine crackers on it.

"If you want them." Janet pulled an end table over so Tegan wouldn't have to reach. "I'm going to go finish my dinner."

"Hey?"

"Yeah?" Janet looked down at her.

"Thanks."

She looked at her funny. "You're welcome."

Tegan let her take a couple steps. "Janet?"

"Yes?" Janet turned back to face her.

"I love you."

"I know you do."

Tegan sat the glass on the table and closed her eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Origins of Truth 6  
><strong>

When Tegan opened her eyes again it was morning.

"Sorry," Janet apologized. "I didn't want to wake you up just to make you move so we could pull the bed out."

"It's ok." She was stiff, but moving wasn't a stroll in the park by any means. "I think the Flexeril threw me for a loop."

"It will do that." Janet nodded; already certain she wouldn't be giving her it again any time soon.

"What time is it?"

"Just after nine." Janet looked at her watch. "What do you want to eat?"

Tegan looked over at the end table that was now void of the plate of crackers and what would've been watered down Coke. "What do you have?"

"Just about anything you want."

"A bowl of Cheerios?"

"I think I can handle that. I'm making chicken noodle soup for lunch since you said your stomach didn't feel good last night."

"I think it was just from the pain."

"Well I'm not going to give you Flexeril again, but I did get you Lorcet. I think you should try that with breakfast."

"I'm not hurting too bad right now."

"When you get up to go to the bathroom, and when I help you get washed up you will be, so let's get it into you before you start hurting."

"Of course." Tegan shook her head a sly grin pulling at her lips. "I went to medical school you know."

"I even heard a rumor you graduated." Janet winked before heading to the kitchen.

After Tegan finished her cereal Janet brought two basins of hot water into the living room.

"I'd rather take a shower." Tegan tried to move to the edge of the couch. "On second thought, this will so just fine."

"I pulled out one of the over sized oxfords, I think you'll do better with something that buttons."

Tegan tried several times to get her t-shirt off before realizing it wasn't one of her favorites. "Can you just get a pair of succors and cut it off?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Janet took over doing the majority of Tegan's bath, which had been her initial plan.

"You know this could be a lot of fun," Tegan groaned.

"Yeah if you weren't in so much pain." She cringed every time Tegan would wince from pain.

"I take it you're not in to S&M?"

Janet's mouth fell open in slight horror at the thought.

"It's ok," Tegan reassured. "Neither am I."

After Janet helped her into clean clothes Tegan grabbed her hand. "Janet, are we ever going to talk about us?"

"Later," she promised.

* * *

><p>"Tegan?" Janet's voice was soft.<p>

He looked at the awkward position her neck was in as she napped in the wheelchair. "You don't need to wake her up."

Tegan opened her eyes and yawned. "Colonel."

"Hey Kiser, how are you feeling?"

"Like a large pine tree beat the crap out of me." She gave him a tired smile. "That and sleepy, Janet keeps drugging me."

"It keeps you out of trouble." He looked at Janet and winked. "I went to Peterson and pulled your things out of the locker."

"Thanks." Tegan watched him sit her BDUs and cell phone on the coffee table.

"Have you been watching the news at all?"

"No."

"They're calling you a hero."

"The media always blows things out of proportion." Tegan shook her head in disagreement.

"I don't know... if you had ejected when Tower One told you to, you would have landed on a residential street probably no worse for the wear."

"And the plane would've ended up on someone's house."

"Actually they calculated the trajectory and they're almost certain it would have hit an elementary school full of kids."

Tegan closed her eyes.

"You're a hero Kiser," Jack reiterated with a satisfied grin. "Colonel Rush is already filing paperwork recommending you receive the Airmen's Medal."

"Shut up."

"You'd better be glad you're on leave."

She opened her eyes. "You know I meant it with the up most respect, sir."

Janet interrupted them. "Have you eaten Colonel?"

"No, I was just heading back to base."

"I've got homemade chicken noodle soup and I'm sure Tegan wouldn't mind the company."

"If I can stay awake long enough." She shrugged to Jack with her eyebrows.

"I never turned down good food." He smiled at both ladies.

"Have a seat." Janet pointed to the recliner.

After he finished lunch and helped get Tegan back to bed, Janet walked him to the porch.

"How is she really?"

"I hate to jinx it, but she's been a pretty decent patient so far."

"Better than she normally is?"

"One hundred percent better."

"Are we sure she didn't hit her head?" Jack grinned.

"Regardless everything checks out, and her memory seems intact."

Jack nodded. "If you need anything don't hesitate to give me a call."

"Thank you Colonel." Janet closed the door and walked into the living room to find Tegan had taken the Lorcet she'd sat by her drink and she was already dozing off again.

Scully found Janet in the kitchen working on dinner when she got home. Janet looked up from the salad she was working on. "How'd it go?"

"Piece of cake; and Julie is wonderful to work with."

"Yeah, she's definitely one of my best." Janet smiled.

"How'd it go with Tegan today?"

"I actually got two doses of Lorcet in her, without a fight."

"So that's why she's out for the count." Scully threw her thumb over her shoulder pointing to the living room. "I see you got the bed pulled out."

"Yeah, I managed to get her into the wheelchair after helping her get washed up. Colonel O'Neill stopped by around lunch time and helped me get her back in bed."

"Well, I can help you this weekend."

Janet nodded. "It's mainly a matter of how much pain she's in when she does move."

"I know." Scully agreed. "Do you need any help?"

"No, we're having baked potatoes and salad. I've got chili, cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, butter, whatever you want on your potato."

"Sounds good." Scully went into the living room and settled in the chair.

Tegan moved her right leg and caused Shadow who'd been sleeping with his head to jump up. He hopped to the head of the bed to give her kisses. "Easy boy."

"You are still in there," Scully joked.

"Huh?" Tegan looked over at her.

"You've just been sleeping a lot."

"It's all the drugs you and Janet are pushing down my throat."

"How are you feeling?"

"Besides drugged? I don't know, as long as I don't move or breathe I'm great."

"Hey." Janet walked into the living room when she heard Dana and Tegan talking. "We're having baked potatoes and salad for dinner, are you hungry?"

Tegan closed her eyes for a second before looking at Janet. "Yeah, I am."

* * *

><p>"Janet?" Tegan spoke into the dark over the low playing music.<p>

"What?" Her response was clipped.

"Would you come lay up here?" She patted the bed beside her.

"Do you know how easy it would be for me to roll over and hit your ribs in the middle of the night?"

"It's already the middle of the night," Tegan rebutted. "Besides I don't care. They're my ribs and I'm lonely."

"I'm less than five feet away." She sighed, "Why are you lonely?"

"It's not the same." She took a deep breath causing her chest to hurt. "I wish I could go home."

"You just said you were lonely."

"I am lonely, you don't want me here. I'm just here because you somehow feel it's your responsibility to take care of me."

"It is." Janet regretted saying it the very second it was out of her mouth. She hadn't thought before speaking. The room was quite aside from the barely audible music.

A minute later Janet heard rustling in the bed. "What are you doing?"

The only answer was a dull thud followed by, "Oh Shit!"

Janet jumped off the air mattress quicker than she thought possible and found the lamp switch. Light flooded the room blinding her. For several seconds all she could make out was the sheer white light burning her eyes. She blinked several times before she saw Tegan sitting on the edge of the bed with both legs over the side. She was currently biting the second knuckle of her left index finger to try and keep the tears and pain at bay.

Janet was relieved it was only the cast she'd heard hit the floor and not Tegan. Before repeating the question she let out a sigh of relief, at least she wouldn't have to wake Dana up to help her get Tegan back in bed. "What are you doing?"

Tegan removed her finger from between her teeth. "Shit, Shit, Shit."

Janet watched her put her finger back between her teeth and bite down. She shook her head and went to find her medical bag, when she came back to the living room she had a morphine injector in her hand.

"Come on; let's get you back to bed." Janet stepped forward.

Tegan shook her head no.

"Yes. If you can't answer my question because you are in so much pain all you can say is 'shit' you're getting morphine, and I'm not going to have you sitting on the edge of the bed until it kicks in so you can fall the rest of the way off."

Tegan continued to hold her finger between her teeth. It gave her something to focus on besides the pain, and was something she hadn't indulged in since childhood. Since she still couldn't put words together to make a sentence, and shit still seemed to be at the top of her list, arguing with Janet was out of the question.

"Argh!" She inhaled and then held her breath when she fell back on the bed with her entire chest on fire. She couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks.

Janet moved Tegan's underwear to the side and injected the morphine. She then gently sat on the side of the bed until Tegan had fallen asleep.

"Good morning." Janet opened the curtains, flooding the living room with sunlight. When she turned back around, Tegan was trying to sit up. "Let me help."

"Leave me alone." Tegan clenched her jaw.

"All this because I gave you morphine last night?"

Tegan grunted as Janet adjusted the bar under the mattress to elevate the head of the sofa bed so Tegan could lean back.

"What do you want to eat?"

Tegan crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to stabilize her ribs and the muscles that were painfully spasming around them. The action gave her the appearance of sulking.

"Tegan?"

"I'm not hungry."

"What is your problem?"

"We talked about it last night. You don't want me here. You said so yourself."

"I did not," Janet defended.

"No. Not in so many words."

"That's not what I meant."

"It may not have been what you meant to say, but actions speak louder than words."

"If you're not going to eat, then I'm going to let Shadow back in and go get a shower."

"Whatever."

Janet shook her head and trudged up the stairs. She didn't know what to think of Tegan's sudden change in mood from yesterday to today. If she were honest with herself, she really had a lot to do with it. She had been distant at best and cold at worst.

In the bathroom she pulled her night shirt off and ran thin fingers through her hair. She looked at her tired face in the mirror and let out a sigh before turning around and adjusting the water temperature in the shower. She slid in behind the shower curtain and felt the hot water pelting her back. She wondered if she still loved Tegan, it wasn't a question that she needed to answer as tears ran down her face.

Her eyes were still rimmed in red when she got out and dried off. After towel drying her hair she threw cold water on her face which did little to relieve the redness. Giving up she went in the bedroom and pulled on a clean pair of jeans and a pink cotton button down. She lay on the bed for a few minutes and stared at the ceiling before deciding she would make tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches and Tegan could eat it or not.

When she stepped into the living room the first thing she noticed was the bed was empty. "Tegan?"

She heard a small bark from the other side of the couch and walked around to find Tegan lying on the floor on her side. Shadow was lying in front of her with his head on his paws so he could see her face.

"What the…" Janet shook her head in frustration. She currently didn't care to ask if Tegan was ok or how she got there. She was breathing and her eyes were open, and Janet knew she couldn't get her off the floor on her own. "I'm going to call Colonel O'Neill."

She walked into the kitchen without waiting for Tegan to respond. After calling Jack and explaining the situation she returned to the living room and sat down in the chair. "Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c are going to come and get you off the floor."

Tegan didn't respond.

"So? You want to tell me what happened?"

"I –" Tegan knew telling her she fell out of bed would be the easiest answer. She also knew it was only a tenth of the truth. "You don't want me here."

"So you were going home?" Janet didn't deny the accusation. She tried not to laugh but it was either laugh or cry. "You're car's still at Peterson."

"I can call a cab." Tegan groaned.

"You can take something for pain and just deal with the fact that you're stuck here." She stood up and waved her hand over Tegan. "If you keep this up you're going to displace one of your rib fractures and puncture a lung."

"Like you give a crap." Tegan mumbled.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. Lorcet or Morphine? I think I've got one injector left."

"Neither."

"If you want to punish yourself go right ahead."

"Kiser." Jack stepped into her view. "You've got to stop giving Doc a hard time"

"I want to go home."

"You can't even get up off the floor when you fall out of bed." He tried to make a joke out of the situation.

"She doesn't want me here."

"Sure she does." Jack glanced over at Janet whose expression he couldn't read. "I spoke with Dr. Scully before we left and she said you might need this."

Tegan watched Jack pull a morphine injector out of his pocket. "I can't."

"You're going to be in a hell of a lot of pain if you don't." Jack held it up and twirled it between his fingers.

Janet remembered that multiple doses of morphine tend to make Tegan sick. "I've got Phenergan if you need it later."

"Compazine?" Tegan didn't want to be drugged up twenty-four/seven.

"I can call in a script and get Dana to pick it up on her way home."

Tegan nodded.

Janet took the injector from Jack and pressed the injector into Tegan's hip. "We'll wait a few minutes for it to kick in."

Janet was too kind not to wait, although she thought not waiting might be vindication for Tegan trying to get out of bed on her on again.

After twenty minutes Jack knelt down beside Tegan with Teal'c on the other side. "Alright hero on the count of three."

"I'm not a – OW!" Her protestation was cut short as they lifted her. "Where the hell did you learn to count?"

"She's grumpy." Jack looked at Teal'c as they lay her on the bed.

"You're telling me." Janet turned to Teal'c. "Thank you both for coming by to do this."

"If she keeps this up you might want to consider moving her back to the infirmary."

"Trust me sir, I'm already contemplating it." Janet looked over at Tegan who just stared at her.

"Call if you need anything else."

* * *

><p>Author's note: (wikipedia) The <strong>Airman's Medal<strong> is a military decoration of the United States Air Force and is awarded to those service members who distinguish themselves by heroic actions, usually at the voluntary risk of life, but not involving actual combat.


	7. Chapter 7

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Origins of Truth 7**

When Dana came home Tegan was asleep in the living room and Janet was sitting at the dinning room table. She sat the bottle of Compazine down as Janet looked up. "Long day?"

"Yeah."

"Well pack your bags. You're staying with Sam the next two nights. I'll take care of Tegan and Cassie can help. You can come back in time for dinner Sunday."

"I can't."

"You can. Sam's expecting you, and I think it'll do you both good."

"Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Mind, it was my idea. Now go pack before I change my mind and I go stay with Sam and leave you here." She smiled as Janet stood up.

"Thank you." She hugged her before going to throw some clothes in an over night bag.

"Janet?" Tegan called out from the living room.

"What do you need?" Dana came in from the kitchen.

"Where's Janet?"

"She's at Sam's. I thought you could use a break." She watched as Tegan struggled to move. "What are you doing?"

"I need to go to the bathroom."

"Think you could tell me so I can help you get into the wheelchair?" Dana pulled it over to the side of the bed. "You really are hard headed."

Tegan grunted as Dana helped her into the wheelchair. "Where's shadow?"

"Cassie's walking him." Dana wheeled her to the bathroom off the dinning room, and helped her.

When they returned to the living room Tegan told her she wanted to stay in the wheelchair for a little while.

"Are you hungry?"

"Nope." Tegan stared at the black screen of the TV.

"Janet said you haven't eaten anything today."

"I'm surprised she even noticed."

Dana looked at Tegan for a minute. "She does care you know."

"Whatever, I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat." Cassie followed Shadow into the living room.

"When did you become the expert?" Tegan pointed for Shadow to lie down.

"I've been taking lessons from my mom." Cassie retorted.

Tegan sighed; she was on the losing end of the argument. "So, what's for dinner?"

"Take out." Cassie and Dana answered in unison.

"So?" Dana eyed her wondering if she'd actually eat. "What do you want?"

"Where are you ordering from?"

"Anywhere you want," Cassie answered.

"Anywhere?"

Cassie nodded, silently hoping Tegan wouldn't go for Thai food.

"I'll take a chef salad from Fran's with ranch on the side."

After Dana and Cassie decided what they wanted Dana went in the kitchen to call in the order.

"Can I play?" Cassie pointed to her game system.

"I don't care." Tegan spotted Janet's medical bag. "Could you hand me those scissors first?"

"Sure." Cassie pulled out the bandage scissors and handed them to Tegan before turning on the TV and game system. She looked back over her shoulder to see Tegan had one blade of the scissors shoved under the edge of her cast. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing, my leg itches."

"You're not supposed to put stuff inside your cast." Cassie knew a lie when she heard one.

"Play your game." Tegan nodded to the TV with her head.

Cassie held her hand out. "Give me the scissors."

"I thought these things were supposed to be able to cut through a penny." She ignored the teenager as she tried to cut into the fiberglass cast.

"Dana!"

Dana had just hung up the phone when she heard Cassie call her name. "Yeah?"

Cassie looked up as she came into the living room. "Tegan's trying to cut her cast off."

"Tegan." Dana moved swiftly to her side. "Give me the scissors."

Her chest hurt to bad to allow her the strength to cut into the cast, but she wasn't giving up.

Dana watched her continue to struggle with the scissors. She was beginning to wonder if sending Janet away for the weekend had been the best of ideas. She realized how easy it would be to get the scissors away from Tegan. She could grab them and probably gain possession with just a simple jerk, or she could simply push on Tegan's chest just hard enough for her to let go of the scissors, but something told her that wasn't the best way to handle the current situation. Instead she moved in front of the wheelchair and knelt so she could look up into Tegan's face. "What are you doing?"

"I can't walk with the cast on." Tegan continued to concentrate on her task.

"Do you remember where you are?"

"Yes, I'm completely lucid. I'm at Janet's, you're Dana Scully, that's my dog sitting over there. I'm Major Doctor Tegan Kiser of the United States Air Force…"

"Alright." Dana stopped her. "So since you should know why you need to keep that cast on, why don't you tell me why you want it off so bad?"

"I want to go home."

"Ok." Dana nodded.

"Janet doesn't want me here."

"Of course she does." Dana disagreed.

"No, she doesn't. She told me as much last night."

"I don't believe that." Cassie spoke up.

"She said the only reason I was here was because she felt it was her responsibility to take care of me."

"My mom would never say that." Cassie defended Janet.

"Ok, she didn't say it. I said it, and she agreed." Tegan used her building anger to squeeze the handle of the scissors until it finally cut through the casting materials. "There."

Dana put her hand over the scissors before Tegan could move them and continue her mission. "Things sometimes get said in the heat of the moment."

"There was no heat." Tegan glanced over as the door bell rang.

"Cassie, can you get that. There's money on the counter, tell him you don't need change." She looked at Tegan. "Janet loves you."

"She sure has a funny way of showing it."

"She just needs to get some rest, she'll be fine when she comes back, you'll see."

"Move your hand." Tegan's voice had a threatening tone to it that Dana hadn't encountered before.

"Tegan?" She didn't back down, or move her hand which she realized may not be her smartest decision.

"I want to go home."

"Fine," Dana relented. "Put the scissors down and eat your salad. I'll give Jack a call and after we eat we'll take you home."

"What's the catch, besides eating?" Tegan didn't look over as Cassie came into the living room with their food.

"Cassie and I are going to stay the weekend with you. And you're going to leave your cast on."

"And Janet?"

"I don't know. That's really between you two, isn't it?"

Tegan nodded and pulled the scissors back and handed them to Dana. She'd managed to make a two and a half inch cut into her cast, and her chest hurt from the effort.

"I'll call Jack after we eat." Dana tossed the scissors back in Janet's medical bag and turned to face Cassie. "You need to pack clothes for two days and PJs after we eat."

"Don't forget your toothbrush." Tegan held out her hand for her salad as Cassie smiled.

"What do you want to drink?" Cassie handed the salad to Tegan.

"Pepsi."

"Dana?"

"Water."

* * *

><p>After packing her stuff Dana had put the sheets from the sofa bed and air mattress into wash. She packed up the air mattress and returned the living room to it's prior state before Jack and Daniel showed up.<p>

"So why are we doing this?" Daniel walked into the living room.

"Tegan wants to go home." Dana offered in way of response.

"And what's Janet say about it?"

"She doesn't know yet." Dana shrugged. "I'm going to call her after we get Tegan home and settled."

"Good luck with that." Daniel raised his eyebrows.

"So Kiser, are you ready to go?" Jack walked around behind her wheelchair.

"Yup."

* * *

><p>"Where's your phone?" Dana asked after the guys left.<p>

"There's a cordless on the charger in the dinning room."

"I'm going to go call Janet, and let Shadow out." Dana still had her coat on and took the phone out on the back porch.

"Hello?" Janet was surprised to see Tegan's home number on her mobile caller id.

"Janet, its Dana."

"Why are you calling from Tegan's?"

"She wanted to come home."

"And you gave in?"

"She was going to cut her cast off with your bandage scissors."

"I'm coming over."

"Janet look, I didn't call to ruin your weekend. I just wanted you to know where we were should you need to get up with us. Cassie is staying here too; she's taking Tegan's sleep sofa."

"Are you sure you can handle her?"

"I think that she'll do better now that she's here. But you might want to go home Sunday and pack a bag before you come over here, I'm still fixing dinner."

"If you need anything…"

"I'll call. Bye." Dana hung up and walked back in the house with Shadow.

When Dana walked into the living room Cassie was sitting on the couch watching TV. "Where Tegan?"

"I think she went to her bedroom."

"You think?"

"She was pushing the wheelchair with one foot, and when I offered to help she said she could do it herself."

"Ok." Dana walked down the hall to find Tegan's door shut. She knocked lightly. "It's Dana."

"Come in." Tegan grunted as she struggled to get her oxford off.

Dana opened the door and saw Tegan with her oxford unbuttoned and pulled halfway down one shoulder. And oversized navy night shirt with yellow stars lay on her lap.

"I can – can you help me?"

"Yeah." Dana stepped up and helped her change into her night shirt. "What else do you need?"

Tegan looked into her blue eyes for a second before looking away. "Sorry I'm such an ass."

"Because you wanted to come home?"

"I could have gone about it better."

"True," Dana agreed. "But you're under a lot of stress, so let's just forget about it ok?"

Tegan nodded. "Could you help me get to the bathroom?"

After Cassie went to bed Dana went to check on Tegan, she stood in the doorway for a minute.

"I'm awake."

"Shadow's in bed with Cassie."

"He always chooses her over me." Tegan groaned as she reached for the lamp. "You can turn the light on."

"I just wanted to see if you were ok. Do you need something for pain?"

"Probably."

"Alright, so pick your poison." Dana smiled lightly.

"Motrin and a sprite."

"You need something stronger than Motrin. How about Lorcet?"

"Just Motrin."

Sometime after midnight Dana woke up and stared up at the dark ceiling in the guest room. At first she wasn't sure what had woken her, except she'd been sleeping lightly afraid she wouldn't hear Tegan call out for help in the middle of the night. Was that what she had heard? Had Tegan called her name?

She lay there for a few more minutes listening to the silence before she slipped out of bed in a pair of cotton pajama bottoms with chili peppers on them that said hot stuff, they'd been a Christmas gift from Mulder, and a black t shirt. She moved quietly down the hall careful not to wake Cassie or Tegan. When she reached Tegan's doorway she heard what must've woken her up, a quiet sob. "Tegan?"

When she didn't answer Dana moved into the room almost tripping over the wheelchair on her way. "Tegan?"

"What?" Came the soft reply.

"Are you in pain?"

"No."

"You're crying," Dana pointed out.

She thought about denying it. "So?"

"Are you sure you're not in pain?"

"No."

"I can give you something for it," Dana offered.

"I'm tired of being drugged up all the time."

"It hasn't even been a week. It's going to take time."

"I know."

"So since you don't want to take anything, do you want to talk?"

"You talk."

"About?"

"You can sit on the bed." Tegan pointed to the empty half of the queen sized bed. "And tell me the story behind your tattoo."

Dana moved to the other side of the bed and sat down gently, resting her back against the foot board. The moonlight filtered through the window and landed on her face. Tegan couldn't help but think how jealous Janet would be if she could see them. But Janet wasn't here, Dana was. They were just talking, and Tegan wasn't even thinking about how beautiful Dana was. For the most part she'd barely even noticed.

"I'll give you the extremely shortened version." Dana ran a tired hand through her hair. "I was following a lead in Pennsylvania for Agent Mulder while he was on vacation. I met this good-looking guy named Ed, who'd recently gotten a tattoo on his arm. It had the most amazing red I've ever seen in a tattoo. So he asks me out to dinner and I take him up on the offer. I'm so intrigued by his tattoo that when he says 'If you're so interested get your own.' I do. And trust me I'm not the most spontaneous person, at least not since I was in med school.

"Ed made sure he told the guy to use the same red pigment that was in his tattoo. The next morning I wake up to an empty apartment."

"You slept with him?"

Dana shook her head no. "I slept over. The weather was really bad and he offered to let me have his bed and he slept on the couch. Anyway he had gone to get breakfast, and while he was gone the local PD showed up. A girl in the downstairs apartment had been murdered. Turns out Ed, the guy I went out with killed her. There was an impurity in the ink used and it caused auditory hallucinations. He thought his tattoo was talking to him. I was going to get him to a hospital for treatment, when he figured out I was FBI and his tattoo told him to attack me. In the midst of the fight I lost consciousness. Hit a wall too hard or something. When I came to I was in the basement of his apartment building, wrapped in a sheet. The furnace door was open and since I was not about to let him throw me in, he burned his arm. I guess he was trying to get the woman on his arm to shut up."

"You're serious?"

"Yep, it's all on file at the J. Edgar Hoover building."

"So did your tattoo talk to you?" Tegan grinned.

"No, there was so little dye used in my tattoo that it had no effect on me. That and I think Ed was probably a little unstable to begin with, he'd recently gone through a divorce."

"And I thought my job was dangerous."

"Your job is dangerous. You can't even fly a plane without crashing it."

"I'd laugh if it didn't hurt so much." She knew Dana was joking about her crashing the plane. "You know that wasn't my fault, right?"

"I know." Dana yawned. "Feeling better?"

"I'll feel better when I know where Janet and I stand."

"So if things don't work out with her, who is next on your list?"

"I don't have a list."

"So I can ask Sam out?"

"If you beat Janet to it." She didn't say she thought Sam was straight, because she really wasn't sure if Sam even knew her sexual orientation.

"I didn't take you for the jealous type." Dana leaned forward.

"I'm not, they just have a special bond because of Cassie."

"Yeah, I've noticed that." Dana thought for a second. "I don't really think you have anything to worry about with Janet, she's just tired."

"I hope." Tegan sighed. "I think I'll take that Lorcet now."


	8. Chapter 8

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Origins of Truth 8**

_Now that I've lost everything to you  
>You say you wanna start something new<br>And it's breakin' my heart you're leavin'  
>Baby, I'm grievin'<br>But if you wanna leave, take good care  
>Hope you have a lot of nice things to wear<br>But then a lot of nice things turn bad out there_

Cassie heard the music blaring from Tegan's room, something she wasn't used to. She recognized the punk cover band as Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, although she was more familiar with her mom's recording by Cat Stevens. She cut the TV off and wandered to the back to the house with Shadow at her heels. "Morning."

"Where's Dana?"

"She went to the grocery store. Good thing she wasn't still in bed you would've woken her." Cassie watched Tegan picked up her mp3 player and turn it down. Cassie wished she had a set up like Tegan had in her bedroom; a set of speakers that she could easily connect and disconnect her player to, although Cassie knew she missed having her entire place wired for sound.

"You've had your music louder."

"Not louder." She shook her head. "Maybe the same volume until mom starts yelling about how I'm going to lose my hearing before I'm thirty, and if I don't turn it down, she's taking my stereo away. What's going on between you two anyway?"

"I don't know Cass." Tegan made a face as the next song started to play, she wasn't sure how that one made it onto her mp3 player.

"Do you still love her?"

"More than you could ever know."

"More than she knows?" Cassie asked thoughtfully.

"Huh," Tegan huffed lightly. "Maybe, and maybe that's the problem. Think you can help me get up?"

"I'll do my best." Cassie was afraid she was going to hurt her, but with Tegan's instructions she managed to help her into the wheelchair without too much pain. "Do you need help in the bathroom?"

Despite her trying to be brave about the whole thing, Tegan knew the last thing the teen wanted to do was help her get situated on the toilet. "I think I can handle it Cass."

"You should tell her."

"Tell her what?" Tegan thought they'd ended the conversation.

"That you love her."

"I have, I do. I just don't think she still loves me Cass. I just…" Tegan shook her head. "Look, I know you want to see your mom and I happy, but it's really something that Janet and I have to work out on our own. And Cass, no matter what happens between Janet and I, it's not going to change how I feel about you. Ok?"

"I wasn't worried about that."

"Of course not." Tegan closed the bathroom door between them.

"Is Tegan still asleep?" Dana brought the groceries she bought in.

Cassie had cut her music off when she'd gone in the bathroom. "No, she's using the bathroom, although she has been in there a long time."

"Can you put the cold stuff away while I go check on her?"

"Sure." Cassie jumped up off the couch to help.

When Dana got to Tegan's room the door was shut, she knocked and waited for Tegan to answer before opening the door. She really needed to work on her timing, this time Tegan was half naked. "Do you need help?"

Tegan grunted. She had one arm out of the large night shirt leaving one breast exposed.

"What do you want to wear?"

"I've got an old pair of Duke sweat pants that you can cut the leg off." She pointed to the gray sweats. She groaned, "I want to wear a t-shirt."

"Do you have any big t-shirts?"

"Not big enough to get into without lifting my arms above my head."

"How about..." Dana looked in the closet and found a blue plaid soft flannel button down. "This looks comfortable."

"Yeah, ok."

"Underwear?"

"I changed them when I washed up."

"Well aren't you just Ms. Independent? I picked up a shower chair while I was out, maybe we can try a shower tomorrow?"

"I'd love that, my hair really needs washed."

"It's not that bad." Dana smiled and helped her into the clean shirt before going and finding a pair of scissors to alter her sweat pants.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Dana pushed the wheelchair into Tegan's dinning room.

Tegan shook her head.

"Look I didn't just restock your kitchen so you wouldn't eat. We've got eggs, bacon, bread, biscuits, cantaloupe, orange juice, grapefruit, cheerios, I can make muffins."

"I want eggs and bacon." Cassie stood in the doorway grinning.

"That's fine with me." Tegan scratched her ear.

"How do you want your eggs?"

"Scrambled." They answered in unison.

"How much?" Tegan asked when Cassie disappeared into the living room.

"How much what?" Dana turned her brow furrowed in misunderstanding.

"How much were groceries so I can pay you back."

"They were giving them away free today."

"Yeah right, I have money you know."

"I didn't say you didn't. Just take it as my way of thanking you for letting me stay with Janet."

"If I didn't want you staying with Janet, I couldn't do anything about it."

"Are you saying you don't want me staying there?"

"Dana, I like you, alright. I think we could become friends, in fact I thought we were. But Janet's hard headed, she's not going not let me tell her who she can and can't have stay with her."

"Pot calling the kettle black," Dana laughed.

"I don't know I probably give into more of Janet's wants than I care to admit."

"Do you regret that?"

Tegan grinned. "As long as Colonel O'Neill doesn't catch wind of it, not one bit."

"Fodder for the fire?"

"Something like that." Tegan nodded.

* * *

><p>"Want to play a game?" Cassie held up her travel chess board.<p>

"If I lose, I get to blame it on the pain meds." Tegan raised an eye brow.

"If you lose? You always lose."

"Details, details."

Cassie shook her head.

Halfway through the chess match Tegan coughed. "Ow – ow –ow –ow –ow!"

"Does saying it five times help it hurt any less?" Cassie watched Tegan hug a pillow tightly to her chest.

"No," She groaned as Dana came in with lunch.

"I've got Lorcet on your plate but I can give you something stronger."

"No, that's fine." Tegan cleared her throat.

"I want to take a listen to your lungs before you eat." Dana sat the tray on the coffee table and went to get her stethoscope out of her medical bag in the guest room.

Tegan was afraid if Dana heard her coughing she'd do exactly what she was about to do. Any doctor worth the paper their degree was printed on would.

Dana slid the bell of the stethoscope under the back of Tegan's shirt. "Deep breath."

She slid it to the other side. "Again."

After listening to all four quadrants of her chest from the back she repeated the process in the front. She made a face as she removed the ear pieces. "You've got some crackles in your left lower lobe."

Tegan nodded she'd felt the mucous rumbling in there with her last cough.

"You need to eat." Dana pointed at the tray housing a turkey sandwich piled high with lettuce, just the way Tegan liked it, Doritos, and a glass of Pepsi. "We'll keep an eye on them."

Tegan nodded again as Dana handed her the plate. "Thanks."

"Cassie, what do you want?"

"I'll get my own." She hopped up and ran towards the kitchen.

"Checkmate," Tegan called out.

"Not uh." Cassie came running back. "There's no way you could've…"

Tegan grinned. "It's your turn anyway."

After lunch Cassie finished beating Tegan at chess, and Tegan worked on some medical reading she hadn't had time to do before. At seven Dana stepped into the living room and looked at the Lorcet that was still lying on the end table from lunch time. She tapped lightly on the spine of the current medical text Tegan was perusing.

"Hmm?" Tegan raised her eyebrows.

"What do you want for dinner?"

"I'm…" Tegan looked at her watch. It had been over six hours since she'd eaten. "A bowl of cereal?"

"Just a bowl of cereal?"

"And a grapefruit."

"Coming right up."

"Do you ever do anything fun?" Dana asked around nine.

Tegan closed her book. "Like?"

"I don't know something besides reading up on the world of medical science?" She did a fair about of that herself, but she still made time for other reading, and the occasional family dinner.

"Um, I got beaten by Cassie at chess earlier today."

"That's not what I mean."

"Cassie, what do I do for fun?" Tegan grinned at the teen who she knew was dieing to jump into the conversation.

"When you're not injured?"

"Oh, you're just so funny." Tegan rolled her eyes.

"Well let's see, since I've known you, you've been snowboarding at Vale. Surfing with the pros in Costa Rica."

"Wow." Dana pursed her lips into and impressed smile and nodded.

"What about you?" Tegan asked.

"Nothing nearly as exciting."

"Mom says she's an adrenaline junkie."

"I'll say," Dana agreed. "I would have thought you got enough of that stuff off world."

"So what do you do?"

"I used to go to the batting cage after a particularly bad case. That's the extent of my adrenaline seeking."

"Pretty dangerous, those balls are fast."

"Are you picking on me?" Dana crossed her arms on her chest.

"Not at all." Tegan shook her head. "Ever play racquet ball?"

"No."

"Don't play against her," Cassie warned. "She's merciless."

"Thanks I'll keep that in mind."

Tegan looked at her watch and yawned.

"Tired?"

"Eh?" She shrugged. "I should probably get out of here so Cassie can go to bed when she's ready."

"Ok." Dana stood up and helped Tegan into the wheelchair. "Are you going to take something substantial for pain tonight?"

"Yeah, I think I'll take that Lorcet left from lunch."

"Good choice." Dana smiled.

"You know I could teach you to surf, or snowboard." Tegan offered when they reached the bedroom.

"A little too adventurous for me." She smiled.

"I somehow knew you were going to say that. Guess you and Janet can sit in the ski lodge this winter while Sam and I shred the slopes."

"Sam snowboards?" Dana asked disparaging.

"No, San's a wuss. She skis."

"I thought Janet skied?"

"I've never gotten her out. Something about responsibilities, being CMO with a broken femur, and Cassie."

Dana laughed, that did sound a bit like Janet. "We'll let's get you ready for bed Ms. Adrenaline junkie."

"I used to have a motorcycle you know." Tegan continue to talk as Dana helped her out of her shirt. "A beautiful yellow Ducati, I sold it to Sam uber cheap."

"So Sam has two bikes?" Dana had heard about the Indian.

"Yup, and I have none."

"You regret selling it?"

"Not really, no. But I'm not so sure Sam would get rid of her bikes so easily."

Dana just nodded and pulled Tegan's night shirt over her head. "I wouldn't expect her too."

"You know Daniel and Jack are available too." Tegan threw out.

"You mean they're not a couple?" Dana smiled at the look of horror that played across Tegan's face.

"Thanks I really need to have that image in my head as I go to bed."

"Better than Jack and Teal'c." Her smile grew.

"Ok, I can see Jack and Daniel but not Teal'c."


	9. Chapter 9

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Origins of Truth 9**

"Good morning." Dana stood in the doorway to Tegan's bedroom. She'd come to check on her when she heard her banging around.

"Morning." Came the one word greeting.

"Are you up for a shower this morning?"

Tegan nodded.

"Why don't you eat breakfast first and then we'll pick out something to wear and I'll help you?"

"Ok, but I can shower on my own."

"Let's take it one step at a time, ok?" Dana was willing to let her do what she could with in reason. "So what do you want to eat?"

"Toast."

"Toast? Plain, cheese, butter, jelly?"

"Cheese toast sounds good now that you mention it."

"Mulder would want Belgium waffles."

"If I weren't in this wheelchair I could make them," Tegan grumbled lightly. "So you two were close?"

"We were partners for over seven years." Scully nodded remembering how she'd taken care of him after he'd been injured on several occasions. "Yeah I guess you could say we were close."

Tegan watched her far away look for several seconds. "I'm sorry."

Dana nodded. "I don't think your toast is going to make it's self."

After wrapping Tegan's cast in a large black trash bag, and handing Tegan the shower head, Dana told her she would be right outside the door. That's were she was ten minutes later.

"Dana?"

"All done?" Dana opened the door.

"No," She sighed. "Would you help me wash my hair?"

"Of course." Dana handed her a towel, both to protect her modesty and to help against the chilly post shower air.

Tegan draped the towel over her chest and abdomen. Dana lathered up her hair massaging her scalp. It was better than any beautician Tegan could remember. After rinsing she worked in conditioner with the same technique before rising it out and towel drying her hair.

* * *

><p>Cassie was putting her stuff in Dana's car when Janet pulled into the driveway. "Did you have fun with Sam this weekend?"<p>

"Yeah, we went and did a day spa yesterday. It was nice." Janet looked at Tegan's front door. "How's she doing?"

"You'd have to ask Dana." Cassie shrugged. "She's asleep on the couch right now."

"Dana's is?" Janet followed her up the walkway.

"No, she's finishing up dinner. Tegan's napping."

"Did she take pain meds?"

"Not since breakfast." Cassie opened the door. "Dana's in the kitchen."

"Smells good." Janet stepped into the kitchen startling Dana.

"Oh, hey." She closed the oven door and stood up. "I didn't know you were here."

"I just got here."

"Obviously." Dana grinned.

"So, what smells so good?"

"Swiss steak? I've still got to cook the noodles and Brussels sprouts."

"Let me help."

"No, I've got it." Dana opened the freezer and pulled out a bag of baby Brussels sprouts. "The sheets in the guest room are clean."

"Who says I'm staying?"

Dana shrugged her shoulders. "She's got a mild cough with crackles in her left lower lobe. It's no worse today than it was yesterday at lunch."

"Fever?"

"No. I think she just isn't moving around, breathing deep enough and it hurts too bad to cough hard enough to clear the mucous out. I'd told her we'd keep an eye on it."

Janet nodded as Dana dumped a bag of egg noodles into a pot of boiling water.

"She was in the wheelchair most of today, and got out of bed and spent most of yesterday on the couch reading and playing chess with Cassie, which is good."

"Yeah that is." Janet looked into the dinning room with two place settings. "What's up with that?"

Dana looked over. "Cassie and I have dinner plans with Sam tonight."

Janet gave her a stern look, which she was sure caused Cassie to give in.

"You and Tegan need some time alone."

"We had time alone, last week while you were at work and Cassie was in school."

"Hey, I don't need to tell you now isn't the time to be hard headed." Dana took a deep breath. "But that's exactly what I'm going to tell you."

"I'm not being hard headed."

"Of course not," Dana sarcastically replied as she drained the noodles. "Dinner's almost done. Just humor me, and try to enjoy dinner."

Tegan cut into her Swiss steak, she was sitting with her wheelchair pulled up to the dinning room table where Cassie and Dana had put her before leaving. She appreciated the trouble Dana had gone through even if the Swiss steak was a little over cooked.

Tegan's phone rang, interrupting the sounds of silverware on porcelain, as she took her first bite. She reached into the wheelchair beside her and looked at the caller ID before silencing it and laying it on the table.

"Don't let me keep you from answering it." Janet pointed to the phone with an empty fork.

"It's not important." Tegan stabbed a Brussels sprout impaling it on three of the four prongs.

"Ok." Janet picked up her water and looked at it before sitting it back down.

"This is stupid." Tegan put the Brussels sprout in her mouth and chewed.

"What's stupid?"

Tegan finished chewing and swallowed. "This, you being jealous."

"I'm not jealous." Janet glanced back at the phone.

"I told you before; I don't love Greg in any other capacity than you love your brother." Tegan's watched Janet's jaw clench. "It's not Greg."

Janet shrugged.

"You know I gave up my bike for you." She tried a different approach.

"Did I ask you too?"

"No, but you said you wished I would get rid of it, and I did."

"I wish for a lot of things that don't happen." She watched Tegan push her barely eaten dinner away. "Like, I wish you would eat."

"I can't eat and have this conversation, and eating is the least of my priorities right now."

Janet nodded and did the same.

"Look, the point I'm trying to make is, I'm willing to compromise to make this work." She gestured between them. "I love you. I can't think of anything I wouldn't do for you."

"Would you give up ever talking to Greg again?" Janet asked after a moment of silence.

"Is that what you want?"

_No. _But she didn't say as much. It wouldn't make a difference and she'd just find someone else to be jealous of.

"I would hope you wouldn't ask me to choose between you and him." She paused. "You would win..."

"I'm not asking you to choose." Janet stopped her there. "I just, I don't know Tegan. I need more."

"Really?" Tegan's phone vibrated on the table and she picked it up and looked at it.

"Greg?" She ventured to ask.

"No." Tegan slid the phone across the table. "Answer it if you want. I don't have anything to hide from you."

Janet looked at the number but didn't recognize it. "It's not that I don't trust you."

"Go ahead, I don't mind."

Janet shook her head no.

"Dana Scully?"

"What?"

"Dana Scully, you were seriously jealous of your best friend from med school?"

"Why not?"

"Well, for starters, because I love you."

Janet nodded. "So what's the deal with you coming here?"

"I got the feeling you didn't want me there."

"I'm sorry I gave you that impression."

"Janet, I don't want you taking care of me because you feel like you have to. I'm staying here and you can go back to work tomorrow."

"You can't take care of yourself."

"Dana said she'd write orders for home health." Tegan let out an irritated sigh. "But don't take care of me out of some deluded obligation because you're CMO."

"Can I take care of you because I love you?"

Tegan closed her eyes. She heard Janet get up but didn't look even as she felt her move close to her. Janet's lips gently touched Tegan's sending a jolt through her.

"Yes," Tegan breathed and pulled back. "But I'm still staying here."

"Fine, then I'm staying with you. It's a better layout than my place. It'll be easier to take care of you and everything's on one level."

"You've got Cassie, and in case you've forgotten I'm in a different school district."

"She can stay here and I'll just run her into school in the mornings and pick her up in the afternoon." Janet reached for Tegan's plate. "Now that we've gotten that taken care of can I reheat your plate so we can eat?"

Tegan nodded.

"Good."

* * *

><p>Janet sat on the couch sipping her chamomile tea. She'd helped Tegan into bed earlier and after she'd promised not to run off in the middle of the night, she'd managed to get her to take Lorcet for pain. It had been a joke, but she realized it was kind of what she had done on Friday.<p>

She thought back to their conversation at dinner, and Tegan's reaction to her saying she needed more. It was almost as if the redhead were up to something, but what? Was she going to ask her to marry her? How did that even work? And the whole military thing, it just wouldn't work out. No, marriage, at least for now, was out of the question.

She stood up and stretched letting out a long sigh before trudging to the kitchen to rinse out her mug. She understood that this little rift in their relationship had been mainly her fault. It was all part of that little green eyed monster, which was funny because she couldn't think of any other person she'd ever been jealous over. The other thing that struck her was how Tegan had not only tried to fix things between them, but she'd also forgiven her without even being offered an apology.

"Come on." She looked down at Shadow who was following her. "Let's go to bed."

Shadow started down the hall with Janet in tow stopping at the guest bedroom door, and wagging his tail. He tilted his head as Janet continued on pausing in Tegan's doorway. The light from the hall illuminated her angelic face. Janet laughed, surely she was the only one who thought of Tegan as angelic. Everyone else saw Tegan as stoic, beautiful, smart and sexy. Of course Janet saw her as all those things too, but she saw so much more, even when Tegan tried to hide it. She smiled to herself and moved into the bedroom.

Tegan felt the warm sun hitting her face, pulling her from a dream as she heard the rhythmic breathing beside her. She opened her eyes knowing the body in the bed beside her wasn't Shadow. Janet was on her back with her right arm hanging off the side of the bed. Her left arm was thrown over her eyes to block out the light and afford her a few more minutes of sleep.

Tegan looked up at the petite woman beside her, her eyes falling on soft pouty lips. She traced the edges of her dark pink lips with her eyes, afraid moving would wake Janet, or in the least cause her ribs to hurt. This getting injured stuff was for the birds. Still she would have been content to lay there and stare at her all day long, but Shadow came trotting in.

Janet felt something warm and wet on her hand and pulled it back up onto the mattress away from whatever creatures were hiding under the bed and tormenting her. She moaned lightly when the edge of the bed dipped and she felt a cold wet nose wedging it's self between her hand and the mattress.

"I think he wants to go out, and I'd be happy to oblige him and let you sleep in, but seeing as I can't walk."

Janet opened her eyes to see an amused Tegan watching her. On the other side of the bed Shadow's tail was thumping the floor. "Fine, I'll take you out."

When Janet returned to the bedroom after letting Shadow out she found Tegan sitting on the side of the bed.

"You moved the wheelchair."

"Because until your ribs are healed, I don't want you trying to get up by yourself."

"Ok."

"Just ok?"

"Yup." She smiled at Janet. "Your hair's all tangled."

Janet tried to smooth her hair out. "What do you want for breakfast?"

Tegan thought for a second. "I want a shower first, but I'll need your help."

"I thought Dana just helped you wash your hair?"

"She did, but it'd be much easier if you helped me."

* * *

><p>Janet looked over the large unabridged hard bound copy of Les Miserables she was reading as Tegan's phone began to trill.<p>

Tegan held the phone out. "Would you answer it please?"

There was something childlike in the request and Janet took the phone and pressed the talk button. "Hello?"

"Who is this?" The gruff male voice on the other end demanded.

"I could be asking you the same thing."

"I want to talk to Tegan."

"If you would tell me with whom I am speaking, I may be able to oblige you."

"Just let me talk to the murderous bitch."

Janet disconnected the call and held the phone firmly in her clenched fist.

"Randall?" It was easier than calling him by any other name.

Janet nodded. "I think so."

"Yeah, he's been calling for a couple weeks I usually just ignore him."

"You could block the number."

"I have, several of them. There are just so many different lines coming out of the prison."

"Put in a request that he not be able to call you."

"It's more energy than I want to put into anything that has to do with him."

Janet gave a sympathetic nod.

* * *

><p>"Hey." Cassie walked into the living room where Tegan was sitting on the couch reading some new scientific text she'd managed to get her hands on.<p>

"Hey kid," She greeted with a sideways glance. "Where's your mom?"

"Bringing in groceries."

"And you couldn't help?"

"It's two bags." Janet walked past her daughter and into the kitchen. "Cassandra, homework."

"I know." She rolled her eyes. "I'm going to commandeer your dinning room table."

Tegan nodded and went back to reading. She was startled an hour later when she felt a soft kiss on the side of her neck. "Dinner's ready. What do you want to drink?"

"What are we having?"

"Chicken enchiladas, refried beans, Mexican rice and corn. I made limeade if you want it."

"Limeade sounds great."


	10. Chapter 10

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Origins of Truth 10**

"Hey." Janet walked into the living room after letting Shadow out for his last relief run of the night.

"Hey," Tegan echoed the greeting as she closed the text she'd been immersed in for the better half of the day.

"What is that anyway?"

"Botany."

"Botany?"

"Yeah, with the number of plant samples coming across my desk from other planets I thought I'd see what I could learn while I'm stuck on my ass."

Janet tilted her head trying to detect the sarcasm or anger, but neither had accompanied the word. It was just out of character for Tegan to randomly use foul language in normal conversation, in any conversation for that matter. She chalked it up to being around Jack too much.

"What?" Tegan swallowed as Janet continued to stare.

"Do you ever do anything fun without being forced to?"

"All the time, But I am kind of limited right now. Besides learning is fun, and like you have any room to talk reading that." Tegan pointed to the large hard bound book Janet was reading.

"It just throws a little more history into the story."

"See… anyway I know something even more fun." Tegan patted the cushion next to her. "Except my doctor won't let me do that right now."

Janet sank into the couch.

"We could do something really interesting tomorrow."

"What's that?" Janet asked skeptically.

"I've got a box of art supplies on the shelf in the guest room closet. You could get them down for me and I could sketch you nude."

"So Cassandra can find it later on and be totally grossed out."

Tegan hadn't considered that. "You've got a beautiful body. What's to be grossed out about?"

"I'm her mother for one."

Tegan shrugged.

"Let's get you to bed."

At one-twenty-four Janet was awoken by pained whimpering beside her. The pale moonlight cast a blue tint on Tegan's face, illuminating the thin sheen of perspiration. "Tegan?"

"No! Please!"

"Tegan?" Janet's voice was a little louder as she put her hand on Tegan's shoulder.

Tegan's eyes popped open to see Janet leaning over her. She looked away reminding Janet of a frightened child. "Sorry."

"For?"

"Waking you."

"It's not a big deal," Janet soothed. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, it was –" Tegan took a deep breath reminding herself what it was. "It was just a dream."

"Alright." Janet wasn't going to push the issue, if Tegan wanted to talk about it she would.

"Janet?" Her voice was small and scared.

"Yes?"

"Will you hold me?"

"I –" She didn't want to hurt her. "Yes."

When Janet woke up again it was to the sound of her alarm. She carefully extracted her arm from between Tegan's arm and abdomen and made her way down the hall. "Cassandra, it's time to get up."

She continued down the hall and let Shadow out.

"Hey." Janet looked curiously at Fraggle when she came back to the room after getting Cassie to school. "Where'd he come from?"

"The night table drawer." She didn't bother to tell Janet that he stayed on the bed when she wasn't there. At least she didn't need him when she was on base.

"Was the dream that bad?"

"I'm not sure it was a dream."

"You said last night…"

"I know." Tegan let the silence expand for several seconds. "It may have been, or it may have been a memory from Kalma-Kiptu."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Honestly – I'd rather just forget it."

"Ok, so why don't we talk about breakfast?"

Tegan made a face.

"Your hair's getting long again." It wasn't worth arguing over.

"I know, I like it though."

"It's too short to pull up and if you're in uniform it'll fall on your collar."

"So I'll get it cut when I have to put on my uniform again." Tegan offered. "Oatmeal."

"Oatmeal?"

"For breakfast." Tegan smiled.

Janet thought about pointing out that Tegan was changing the subject, but she was afraid it might cause her to change her mind about wanting to eat.

That evening Tegan sat on the couch after Janet had finished talking to Julie and had said it was ok for Cassie to stay the night, only if Julie really wanted her to. "I can't believe you let her on a school night."

"I know, but she stays there if I have to work, or I'm off world." Which Janet had to admit wasn't very often.

Tegan nodded, she never pretended to tell Janet how to parent and didn't want to.

"You never told me about your dream."

"I told you I don't know it was a dream, besides it was pretty horrific."

Janet sat there silently.

After several minutes Tegan shook her head, as if to clear it. "If it was a memory, then Nirrti helped Kalma 'eat' Kiptu. At least in the sense that it was an Ashrak hired by Nirrti that left Kiptu so badly injured that she could not heal herself or her host. It… I don't know, it felt so real."

Janet rubbed her shoulder remembering how withdrawn Sam had been after the Ashrak had attacked her and Jolinar, leaving Jolinar to give up her life in order to save Sam's.

"Why don't we watch a movie or something?"

"What do you want to watch?" Janet looked to Tegan's collection which still had some DVDs sealed in cellophane.

"I don't care, you pick."

"Alright." Janet stood up and moved to the shelf. After a few minutes of perusing the titles she made her selection.

Janet felt fingers brush the inside of her leg. She raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth to protest when she felt Tegan rest her hand just above her knee, the warmth penetrating through the thin material of her black yoga pants. She turned her attention back to the scene playing on the TV. Maverick and Charlie, for some reason her brain couldn't process anything but their call signs, were about to have hot steamy sex. She could see the silhouettes of the smooth bodies against the blue glow of the night outside as "Take My Breath Away" played. Fingers moved further up her thigh working further inside.

"I hate this movie," Janet announced halting Tegan's progression, slow as it were.

"You put it in," Tegan reminded. "We can always find something better to do."

Janet ignored the suggestive lure and cut the TV off. "After this Goose dies and the movie is just sad."

"They get together in the end."

"You could have died." Janet put her hand on top of Tegan's. "When you ejected out of that plane you could have died."

"But I didn't."

"But you almost did."

Tegan shook her head, she had a couple more hours of life left in her when they found her. "You can't ask me to give up flying, it's safer than driving. And we don't even know what caused the plane to malfunction."

"That's the scary part."

"I can't just give it up, even if I wanted to Janet. I gave up my bike, but this isn't my decision, it's the military's and unless…"

"I could make it so you couldn't fly." Janet interrupted.

"Yes, and in doing so you could make it so I couldn't go off world." She pulled her hand away.

"I didn't say I would, or that I've even thought about it. Give me some credit Tegan."

"I…"

"I know what you're job means to you."

"Things change."

"What do you mean?"

"Just that they change, and maybe my job isn't as important to me as it was when we first met." Tegan cleared her throat. "So, why did you pick this movie anyway?"

"I forgot about Goose."

"And you wanted to see half naked men playing volleyball, you can admit it."

"Well…" Janet smiled slightly. "Just Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer."

"Yeah." Tegan wagged her eyebrows at Janet. "So what are we going to do now?"

"I'm going to put in 'The Sound of Music' no one dies in that."

"Or has sex," Tegan mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing."


	11. Chapter 11

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Origins of Truth 11**

"Colonel," Janet greeted as she opened the door to find Jack and another Colonel she'd never met standing on Tegan's doorstep.

"Doc, this is Colonel Rush." He turned slightly to the gentleman standing beside him. "This is Dr. Frasier. Is Major Kiser available?"

"She's in the living room, sir." She led the way before excusing herself. If nothing else, the two men in their dress uniforms spoke volumes of the importance of their visit.

"Colonel Rush." Tegan tried to sit straighter on the couch. "Please Colonels have a seat."

Colonel Rush sat in the chair and placed the envelope he was holding in his lap, while Jack took the empty end of the couch.

"How are you feeling?" Colonel Rush leaned forward checking out the full length cast adorning Tegan's left leg.

"I'm going to be just fine. Thank you for asking sir."

"I've come by because we've determined the cause of the crash."

"Sir," she urged him to go on.

"The official report being released to the press this afternoon is mechanical failure." He shifted in his seat.

"Mechanical failure?"

"There was," Colonel Rush cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, there was foul play involved."

"Foul play?" She wondered why he didn't just cut to the chase.

"Yes, the plane had just been in for routine maintenance. Oil change, seal checks that type of thing." He pressed his finger tips together. "Evidently I – I must've stepped on some grease monkey's toes."

Tegan raised an eyebrow, the term wasn't derogatory they even called themselves that.

"He just happened to be the mechanic who got my plane and decided he'd take me down a notch or two."

"You've proved this?" She didn't really think that was the way to take someone down a notch or two, but more like putting them six feet under.

Colonel Rush nodded. "Surveillance footage, he tampered with both engines."

"So it was just my lucky day?" She smiled dryly.

"Actually it was mine."

"I don't follow."

"You didn't just save a school full of children, but you saved an old gray haired Colonel, husband, father of two and soon to be grandfather from certain death."

"Surely you exaggerate sir, I survived."

"No Major, I don't." He picked up the white envelope and flipped in over in his hands. "After the airman responsible was apprehended he admitted to what he'd done as well as to tampering with my chute. He'd cut all my straps. Either way he wanted to make sure I was dead in the end."

Tegan looked at Colonel O'Neill. "And you think I'm obsessive compulsive for repacking my chute before I fly."

"I won't mention it ever again." Jack grinned.

"I wanted to apologize for sending you up. Had I known…"

"No apology needed sir. You didn't know."

"I never did ask you about your call sign?" Colonel Rush questioned.

"It's left over from my last tour sir. The guys always said I was 'Red hot and cold as ice.'"

"Ouch." He grimaced.

"They meant well, and it was better than the only other woman in our unit. 'Loose Lucy,' she was a pretty loose cannon but I don't think her flying was the only reason they called her that."

"Well," Jack announced. "We'll have to get you a new one, and I think I've already got it picked out."

"Really sir?" She raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Of course." His smiled broadened. "Tiki."

"I'll have to hear the story behind that one sometime, but unfortunately Colonel O'Neill and I are due at a press conference." Colonel Rush stood up and shook Tegan's hand before handing her the sealed envelope he'd been holding. "I almost forgot, this is for you."

Janet walked into the living room after she heard the front door shut.

"Did you hear?" Tegan looked up at her.

"No." Janet replied making her way between the coffee table and the couch to sit down. She'd intentionally started working on dinner so she wouldn't be tempted to eavesdrop.

"The plane's engines were tampered with." Tegan relayed what she knew.

"That's awful." Janet shook her head. "Any idea what Colonel Rush did to deserve that kind of revenge?"

Tegan laughed lightly, sometimes she thought she and Janet shared the same mind. "No, and it wasn't really my place to ask."

Janet nodded. "Well at least no one died, but still…"

"So, does that make you feel any better about me flying?"

"Maybe just a little." She tilted her head toward Tegan's hand. "What's in the envelope?"

Tegan shrugged and tore carefully into the side, although she was pretty sure she knew what it was. She was pretty sure Janet did too. After reading over it she handed the card with presidential seal off to Janet. "An invitation to a ceremonial banquet followed by meeting the president to receive some stupid medal."

"It's not some stupid medal," Janet admonished.

"Do you want to go with me?"

"As your…"

"Unofficial date," Tegan interrupted with a smile.

"I was going to say personal nurse."

"One you're a doctor, and two I really want you to go with me."

"So you want to go?"

"No, and if you don't go I'll figure out a way out of it."

"I'll have to see if Dana minds keeping Cassandra." Janet smiled warmly. "And thank you for asking me."

"So, will I be in a walking cast by then?" She knew it was a long shot.

"No." Janet didn't even have to look at the date. She shook her head to bring the point home. "With the fracture you've got, you need to be non weight bearing for at least three weeks."

"It's been two." Tegan tried to argue her point.

"After that you need to be only partial weight bearing, and you can't use crutches with those fractured ribs."

Tegan let out a sigh.

"You're not going to beg are you?"

"No, I understand, and I'm trying really hard to be a good patient."

"Why?"

"Because you don't need me acting like an ass all the time."

"You, an ass?" A small grin pulled at her lips.

"Jack ass, stubborn, donkey, mule, hard –" Janet put her finger over Tegan's lips.

"Shhh…"

When Janet moved her finger Tegan gave her, her best puppy dog look. "I'm tired of being cramped up."

"Great, I thought you were being good."

"I just thought you could help me into the wheelchair and we could eat lunch on the back porch."

"I think I can handle that, but you're going to need a coat."

* * *

><p>Janet looked out the glass doors of the Marriot in Washington DC to the waiting limo and all the camera crews ranging from reputable news reporting agencies to the paparazzi. "I wonder who the big star is?"<p>

"Major Kiser, of course." Jack drew their attention as he caught up to the ladies. They'd somehow managed to get her into the hotel the night before without being spotted, but this morning she'd have to face her adoring fans.

"Looking sharp Colonel." Tegan's eyes traveled from Jack in his dress blues to Daniel in his light gray suit. "Wow, I didn't know you cleaned up so nice."

Daniel adjusted his tie and blushed. "Thanks, you don't look so bad yourself. You all do."

"Are you kidding?" Jack looked at the three ladies in full dress blues in front of him. "They're smokin'"

"As long as none of the cameras shoot up my skirt we'll be fine." Tegan growled lightly at all the chaos outside.

"You are wearing underwear right, Major?" Jack pointed outside in case she'd missed all the cameras. "We don't want another Brittany fiasco."

"I forget you read the tabloids." Tegan rolled her eyes. She'd often wondered why they still made thigh highs, but today she was thankful they did. Now if she could just transfer from the wheelchair to the car without flashing everyone she'd be even happier.

"Shall we?" Sam stepped forward.

Tegan nodded.

As soon as the automatic doors slid open there were twenty people shouting her name, and flash bulbs popping in conjunction with shutters snapping.

"Major Kiser how's it feel to be a hero?"

"Tegan, I love the new locks."

Tegan realized the photo that had been released to the press was from before she'd joined the SGC, back when she was still wearing her hair long and up in a bun for work. She heard the same reporter yell, "You're hot!"

"Major Kiser!"

"Major Kiser, why did it take so long for them to find you?"

"They do know there is an official press conference after the medal ceremony right?" She asked as Daniel and Janet helped her into the back of the limo. Sam and Jack stood in front of them shielding her from all the cameras.

"Half these guys don't even have real credentials," Janet mumbled.

"More than half." Jack pulled the wheelchair back and headed to the trunk. "Come on guys, give her a break, ok?"

"Just had to get your sound bite in huh Colonel?" Sam asked as he pulled the door closed behind him.

He grinned lightly.

She wasn't sure how but there were just as many if not more and maybe even some of the same reporters standing on the sidewalk outside the banquet hall when they arrived.

She was doing her best to ignore the cacophony of "Major Kisers" and "Tegans" being called out as Janet maneuvered the wheelchair through the crowd and up the ramp. The photographers and camera men were bottle necking on the ramp and blocking the way.

"How does it feel to be a hero?"

Tegan looked at the reporter who was actually standing off to the side to let them through and shook her head. "I'm not a hero, I just did what I was trained to do."

"Thanks." He smiled as he looked to the overcrowded wheelchair ramp. "Come on guys, clear the way. Let them through."

It was like a scene from 'The Ten Commandments' when Moses parted the Red Sea.

"What was that all about?" Jack asked when they finally made it inside.

Tegan shrugged as a handsome forty-something approached with the insignia of Lieutenant Colonel adorning the shoulder of his dress uniform.

"Major Kiser." He held out his hand taking hers before she could salute and bent down to embrace her in a gentle hug.

Janet noticed the wedding band on his left ring finger and relaxed marginally.

"I get you promoted;" He spoke as he stood back up. "And you run off a few weeks later. Now you're jumping out of damaged planes and swinging from trees."

"She's our Tarzan Tegan." Jack raised his brow.

"Colonel O'Neill this is Lieutenant Colonel Rothman," She introduced them although she knew they could read each nother's name tags. "He was my CO before I transferred. Colonel Rothman, this is Colonel O'Neill my current CO, Major Carter, Major Frasier our CMO, and Dr. Jackson."

"Archeologist and linguist," Daniel clarified.

He nodded to the group before turning his attention back to Tegan. "You've got your CMO pushing your wheelchair? Impressive; I'm surprised you don't have her job. No offense Major Frasier."

"She's my friend and co-worker, and I don't want her job."

"Then you won't mind me dancing with her after lunch?"

"And I thought you were coming over to sign my dance card." Tegan smiled.

"I was, but…"

"I'm a gimp, I know." She nodded across the lobby as another officer approached.

"Red Ice, how's it going?" The Captain grinned from ear to ear forgetting formalities. "There I go again forgetting my manners."

Tegan watched his blue eyes twinkle as he saluted.

"Harry said to apologize but his wife is in labor."

"That's a pretty good excuse." Jack tapped Tegan on the shoulder and pointed to Colonel Rush as he excused himself.

"The Airman's Medal, what you did was pretty impressive." His blonde hair almost matched Sam's and gave him a school boy appearance.

"Nah, you would have done the same thing."

"Like hell I would. The first sign that second engine was failing I would have gotten my ass out of there, screw the people on the ground."

Tegan shook her head and turned to introduce him. "This is Captain Myers, we served over the sandbox together. This is Major Carter and Major Frasier."

Several other people greeted Tegan and congratulated her on receiving the Airman's Medal. Some she knew, others were COs of her COs. A couple were congressmen, and a few senators who came for the free meal and to get their names in the press.

"I'm soooo glad that is over," Tegan groaned as she flipped the hotel TV on that evening. She was exhausted, and didn't even change channels. Fox Five news edge at six out of DC was on and they were recapping the press conference that had followed the medal ceremony. Tegan was reiterating that she was only doing what she was trained to do.

"Why can't you just admit that you're a hero?" Janet helped her out of her Air Force blazer.

"Because I'm not."

"You are, and not just in this case. How many times have you saved the world?"

"I haven't, SG1 has." She unbuttoned her blouse.

"Aren't you a part of SG1." She watched Tegan nod. "And how many times have you saved Jack's ass?"

"It's my job." She leaned forward. "I wish I wasn't so tired and didn't have all these fractures."

"Are you coming on to me?" Janet leaned in.

"Yes." The sound muffled into soft lips.

Janet pulled back when she felt the air blow across her chest and stomach. "What are you doing?"

"Helping?" She grinned.

"No, not until you're healed."

"You're no fun."

Janet pulled her blouse off with less care than she normally used and Tegan inhaled sharply. "My point."

"I'll reiterate, you're no fun."

Janet was mid change, naked from the waist up when she heard a male voice on the TV. "We've got footage of Major Tegan Kiser and her mystery lover."

"You think she's gay?" Harvey asked incredulously after a short clip of Janet pushing her up the ramp. "That's her doctor you dim wit."

"Because doctor's always push their patients' wheelchairs." Max rolled his eyes. "All I know is I'd do 'em both. And I swear I've been surfing with her."

"She did talk to one of our camera men." It was a blonde woman who spoke.

The screen went black.

"What'd you do that for?"

"It's trash TV Janet, stuff like Jack watches. Besides if you stand there half naked any longer I'm going to have to ravish your body, broken ribs be damned."

"So does he know you?" Janet pulled a navy blue t-shirt over her head.

"Max?" Tegan laughed. "Yeah we surfed together in Costa Rica, if you can call what he did surfing. And I don't really consider catching a few of the same sets surfing together."


	12. Chapter 12

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Origins of Truth 12**

"Kiser?" Tegan lifted the receiver to her ear wondering who was calling their room.

"Tegan?"

The voice sounded familiar and she hoped she didn't make a fool of herself. "Debbie Craig?"

"Yes, I was afraid you wouldn't remember me."

"How could I forget you?" She smiled despite herself, while ignoring Janet's inquiring gaze.

"I took a chance that you'd still be at the Marriot today, I was afraid you'd be on your way back to Colorado and I'd missed my chance to catch you."

"Actually, I'm here for a couple days. My – uh – my boss told me to enjoy the time away, and go to the museums or something."

"I don't want to take away from all that, but if you don't have anything better to do I'm staying up at the cabin and I'd love the company."

"It'd be great to catch up but I have a traveling companion, and…"

"She's more than welcome to come."

Tegan wondered how she knew it was a woman. "Can I get your number and call you back in a few minutes?"

"Sure," Debbie rattled off the number and said goodbye.

Tegan placed the receiver back in the cradle and looked at Janet. "How badly do you want to go to the museums?"

It had been General Hammond's idea and Dana had readily agreed to watch Cassie for however long they would be gone. To be honest Janet wasn't looking forward to fighting the crowds, and kids on field trips even if they both could walk, and having to push a wheelchair around the cramped quarters made it even less inviting. "What do you have in mind?"

"An old friend has invited us to her cabin, I haven't talked to her since I left for the SGC." Tegan's remorse shone in her eyes, and had Janet wanted to say no she couldn't have.

"I'm game. Why don't you tell me you want to eat and I'll call for room service while you call her back." She'd watched Tegan punch the number into her cell phone.

Tegan took the menu from Janet. "She was one of my teachers."

Janet nodded, she didn't need an explanation.

"I'll take a hamburger and a baked potato."

"You're going to eat all that?" Janet had watched her barely eat at the banquet earlier that day.

Tegan shrugged and handed the menu back.

"What do you want to drink?"

"Pepsi."

"Well Coke be ok?" Janet scanned the drink list.

"It's fine." Tegan scrolled through the numbers in her phone and pushed dial.

"Hello?"

"So when do you want us?"

"Anytime, the linens are clean."

"Well be there tomorrow after lunch then."

"Alright, I'll see you then."

Tegan hung up her cell phone just as someone knocked on the door. "That was fast."

"Too fast." Janet noted they didn't identify themselves as room service as she'd expected them to. "Call Colonel O'Neill's room."

Janet waited until she heard Tegan lay the receiver back down before she pulled the door open to reveal a woman younger than Tegan standing there holding a duplicator box. Her hair was light blonde and her eyes were an eerie shade of crystal blue so pale they almost looked clear.

"Can I help you?" It was Jack's voice from the next room, and he nodded at Sam who stepped out of her room so they were blocking the girl's exit.

She looked between the three people, none of which were who she was there to see but all of whom she recognized from the news reports. "I'm looking for Tegan Kiser."

"You can start by putting the box down." Sam pointed to the floor.

As she leaned forward her long hair slipped off her shoulder, she sat the box at her feet and tried to look around Janet to spot Tegan. Janet moved with her blocking her view.

"Who are you?" Janet demanded.

"I'm Tegan's sister."

"She doesn't have a sister." Jack knew he would remember her mentioning it.

"I'm her half sister," She corrected, "Jessica Kiser."

Janet turned back to Tegan, and Jessica caught a glimpse of her shaking her head no.

"I remember you," Jessica pleaded.

"She doesn't remember you." Janet started to push the door closed.

"I've got her mom's stuff here; I found it when I was cleaning out the attic."

"You can just leave it." Tegan spoke from the bed.

Janet moved away giving Tegan a partial view of Jessica.

"I don't remember you." She lied, she didn't remember the face, but she'd heard the name before and probably her voice as a child.

Janet stepped back blocking the doorway. "Sorry."

"My number's in the box if your memory returns." She tilted her head up as if her voice needed to float over Janet to get into the room.

After she left Jack cautiously flipped the lid of the box up, it had a business card on top and what looked like two journals and a couple photo albums. "What do you want me to do with it?"

"If you can take it back with you tomorrow, I don't want to deal with it right now."

"Alright." Jack put the lid back on knowing it was somehow be Tegan's own personal Pandora's Box.

"I'd hoped you'd actually eat." Janet watched Tegan pick at her food. She'd known the minute a long lost half sister had shown up that Tegan wouldn't eat.

Tegan shrugged. "Lost my appetite."

"I know." Pushing the issue wasn't going to do either of them any good. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I want to forget about it, at least until we get back. Think we can do that?" Tegan's voice was soft, non-accusing.

"I won't bring it up again."

"Good." She smiled lightly even though both she and Janet knew it was forced.

* * *

><p>"Turn here." Tegan pointed to the gravel driveway leading a quarter of a mile off the poorly kept dirt road to an A-Frame cabin sitting on four acres surrounded on three sides by the George Washington National Forest.<p>

"You've been here before?" Janet was thankful to get off the bumpy and curvy mountain road, relieved they hadn't run into any other traffic on the narrow path.

"A couple of times after I graduated."

"How come you don't ever talk about her?"

Tegan shrugged. "I don't know, there's a lot in my past I just don't talk about."

"Yeah I know." Janet pulled to a stop along side the black Jeep in the drive as Tegan waved to Debbie who'd stepped out onto the porch.

"You found it," Debbie commented when Tegan opened her door.

"Well it's not like you moved it." Tegan smiled. "Debbie this Janet, Janet, Debbie."

"What can I do to help?"

"Nothing." Both Tegan and Janet answered in unison.

"Come on, I've still got the use of all my limbs." Her sandy blonde hair blew in the wind. "At least let me grab some luggage or something."

Tegan nodded as Janet brought the wheelchair around the side of the rental car. "It's in the back seat."

"I'm putting you down here." Debbie turned to Janet. "And you'll be in the guest room up stairs, the door on the end."

"I can't take your room."

"It's not my room, you forget I don't live here full time. Besides you can't do the stairs."

"Who says I can't?"

"I do." Janet gave her a look she reserved for ornery patients and a hardheaded teenaged daughter.

"Sorry I dropped the ball." Debbie gestured for Janet to take a seat after sitting her luggage at the foot of the stairs. "I've been meaning to write, but things have been difficult since Milton passed."

"I understand."

"I didn't know if you'd tried to write. I sold the house in Maryland, I just couldn't stay there any more. Too many memories."

"I've been pretty busy since I transferred." Tegan easily let her off the hook. "It just seems there's never time to do much outside of work."

"But you've always been a workaholic." Debbie looked around. "What kind of host am I? Can I get either of you a drink, something to eat?"

"I'm fine thank you," Janet declined.

"Same." Tegan nodded.

"If you don't mind I'm going to walk around outside and stretch my legs." Janet stood up.

"No, make yourself at home, please." Debbie watched Tegan's eyes follow her out the door. "So tell me about Janet."

"She's a doctor, a really good doctor. She's a Major and Chief Medical Officer on base. She's really smart, and has a wonderful teenage daughter named Cassie. Oh, she's also bossy." Tegan grinned. "We've become pretty good friends."

"Is that all?"

"I don't follow." She played dumb.

"I see the way you look at her." She waited for Tegan to say something, and when she didn't she went on. "You know I won't say anything, you also know I don't care as long as you're happy."

"Thanks, I'm getting there," Tegan admitted. Even though she wouldn't admit it right then she was glad Debbie approved, she was the closest thing to a parent Tegan had ever had aside from her maternal grandmother. "I've got a great group of people I work with. They're like family. We even hang out outside of work. Seems strange huh?"

"No, I'm just glad. You've been a loner for far too long."

"I know."

"She's welcome to stay down here with you."

"I'm not sure she'd be comfortable with that."

"See I knew it." Debbie smiled knowing Tegan hadn't really slipped up in admitting it.

The front door opened and closed.

"Back already?" Tegan threw over her shoulder, "You weren't gone long."

"It's cold out there."

"And Colorado is warm this time of year?" Debbie laughed.

"No, not really." Janet stepped into the living room. She looked at Tegan as she passed, her brown eyes inspecting the red head.

"So Janet, you're a doctor also?"

"Yes, I joined the Air Force right after I finished my residency. Until my recent post I was focusing on viruses."

"Now she does it all, including broken bones." Tegan pointed to her cast.

"Impressive." Debbie nodded. "So did any other injuries fall out of the sky with you?"

"A few scrapes, and some fractured ribs, hence the wheelchair."

"She's a pro on crutches you know." Debbie looked at Janet who had settled back in the chair.

"Yes, I know."

"Are you still into your extreme sports?"

"When I get time off which isn't very often."

"How about singing?"

Tegan nodded. "Just a little gig in a bar full of drunks, nothing major."

"She packs the house when they know she's singing," Janet interjected.

"I'm not surprised. I used to drive into DC when the Knight-n-Gales were performing." Debbie turned back to Tegan. "I'm sorry, I heard about Paige."

"So," Tegan changed the subject. "Are you still working?"

"I am." She'd switched career paths after Tegan had graduated from high school and had become a social worker. "I'm thinking about early retirement though. There are just too many kids in bad situations."

"Yeah," Tegan reflected.

"It doesn't get any easier."

"I imagine not." Janet pulled a hair belonging to Tegan off her jeans.

* * *

><p>"You know…" Tegan laced the fingers of her right hand with Janet's. "Debbie said you could sleep in here with me."<p>

Janet shook her head. "If you wanted to sleep with me, you should have stayed at the hotel."

"Are you upset that we came?"

"No, I'm glad we did. I'm getting to know you just a little bit better. And Debbie seems like a really nice person."

"She is." Tegan yawned. "I wouldn't be where I am today had it not been for her; which means we might never have met."

"Then I'm certain she's a wonderful lady." Janet leaned forward and kissed the tip of Tegan's nose. "Get some sleep."

"I love you."

Janet disentangled her fingers from Tegan's and crossed the room. She cut out the overhead light. "Don't let the bed bugs bite."

Tegan frowned lightly. She was going to start keeping track of the 'I love yous' starting now. Currently it was Tegan one and Janet zero.


	13. Chapter 13

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Origins of Truth 13**

"Tegan!" Janet jumped up from her seat as Tegan started coughing violently.

Tegan held one hand over her mouth, the other wrapped protectively around her chest to support her ribs.

"What can I do?" Debbie asked as Tegan continued to choke and wheeze.

"My medical bag is upstairs on the foot of the bed."

When Debbie returned Tegan had stopped coughing, but her eyes were red rimmed and her face was still crimson from the effort.

"I'm fine." Her voice cracked as Janet pulled her stethoscope out.

"You're tight, and I'm hearing a wheeze in your right upper quadrant."

"You'd wheeze too if I poured citric acid down your wind pipe. I'm fine."

"It's good to see you haven't lost your stubborn streak," Debbie observed aloud.

"So, she's always been hardheaded?" Janet put her stethoscope away as Debbie nodded. She pulled out two Ibuprofen.

"What's that for?"

"Your ribs."

"They don't hurt." Tegan pushed her plate away and took the pills from Janet's hand.

"Are you done?" Debbie reached for the partially cleared plate.

Tegan nodded before downing the pills with Janet's water.

"You didn't eat much," Debbie commented.

"I'm fine."

"She doesn't eat when something's bothering her." Debbie addressed Janet.

"Yeah, I've picked up on that a few times." She was sure she could learn a lot about Tegan from Debbie. "Can I help you with those?"

"No, I've got them." Debbie graciously declined the offer.

"Then if you two will excuse me, I'm going to go grab a shower."

Tegan nodded. She waited until she heard the bathroom door upstairs close. "Did Milton tell you he loved you?"

Debbie dried her hands on a dish towel and turned to Tegan with curiosity in her eyes. "Yeah, sometimes he did."

"Did you tell him you loved him back?"

"Occasionally." Debbie pointed to the living room before moving behind Tegan's chair. "Why do you ask?"

Tegan waited for Debbie to move around her and settle on the couch. "I was just curious."

"You know people don't always have to say 'I love you.' And saying it too much makes it lose its meaning. Sometimes you just have to show it."

"I know," Tegan sighed.

"She does, you know, love you that is. I don't doubt that and I've just met her."

"Yeah." Tegan smiled lightly. "She's the overprotective jealous type."

"Jealous?"

"Yeah, but not in the 'you can't have any friends' way. She's just…"

"Greg?"

Tegan nodded.

"Well, the way he looks at you and the way he treats you, I can understand that."

* * *

><p>"Janet, would you like to go for a walk with me?" Debbie asked that afternoon.<p>

"What about me?" Tegan inquired.

"There's the TV, DVDs are on the shelf, or you can read any of my books."

"You were a history teacher," Tegan smirked. "You don't have any good books."

"Just for that, I'm putting 'Hot Zone' out of your reach."

"Have fun." Tegan watched Janet slip into her coat.

"How long have you two been an item?" Debbie waited until they'd walked to the upper edge of the property to ask.

"A while." Janet looked down at the ground for a second.

"How much do you know about her childhood?"

"I know that her mom was raped and died in child birth, and that her dad didn't really love her."

"Is that what she told you?"

"No, not in so many words." Janet knew there was no way to explain some of the ways she'd been made aware of Tegan's past. "I know some of the things he did to her, locking her in the basement, giving her dog food to eat."

Debbie nodded. "I reported him to the dean, but the school refused to do anything. He was a major donator to the school, and they didn't want to lose the money. I was told if I reported him to child services they would make sure I looked incompetent and I would lose my job. I really didn't care about my job or my reputation, but I was afraid for the backlash Tegan might suffer, so I made it my mission to keep her away from him when I could. It wasn't like he cared. Most of the time she didn't seem to exist in his eyes."

Janet nodded.

"She's a good kid." Debbie shook her head and continued walking the parameter of the woods on her property. "What am I saying, she's a woman. I guess she's always going to be that tough little girl to me though. She was a good student, played sports, was into choir, preformed in the musicals. I suspect she filled her days so she didn't have to deal with what she was going through on the inside.

"Most teachers didn't see it. I'm sometimes not sure why I did. Maybe it was because I found her on school property, when the school was closed for a long holiday weekend and because she wasn't one of my students yet. Not that I hadn't seen her in the halls or heard of her. A fair amount of students picked on her genius, her teachers were blown away by it, and she was one of the most striking students I'd ever seen. Despite her tough exterior, when I found her that weekend I wanted nothing more than to protect her. She begged me not to call her father, and I didn't.

"I started watching her from then on. I'd see her in the halls, went to the cafeteria, even when I wasn't on duty. I let her spend long weekends with me. Unfortunately her father still showed up to get her for Christmases and summer breaks. I went to all of her sporting events and concerts. I knew when she wasn't eating. I wished I could take away all the hurt that man had inflicted on her. I wished I could prevent him from ever hurting her again."

"He can't ever hurt her, physically, again." Janet commented.

Debbie stopped in her tracks.

"He killed his second wife, and came after Tegan." She spared Debbie the details. "He was caught before he could kill her, and he's spending the rest of his life in jail."

"It's better than he deserves."

Janet couldn't help but agree.

* * *

><p>It was after six when they finally got home, and Tegan couldn't have been happier to be off the plane. She hated not being in the pilot's seat. Cassie and Dana were in the kitchen fixing dinner when they came in. Cassie had used her spare key to get in as well as bring the box in that Jack had dropped off at Janet's earlier.<p>

"I hope you don't mind, we took over the kitchen," Dana called into the living room when she heard them come in.

"Not at all." Tegan gave Shadow a healthy ear rub and glanced at the duplicator box sitting on the coffee table.

"What smells so good?" Janet asked.

"Chicken a la Cassie." Dana stepped into the living room wiping her hands on a dish towel. "It's a recipe she came up with all on her own."

"Really?" Janet's brow lifted with intrigue.

Dana looked at Tegan who seemed a little unnerved by the box. "Are you ok?"

She nodded.

"How'd the ceremony go?"

"It went." Tegan looked back at the box.

Janet stepped between her wheelchair and the box picking it up. "We can move this out of the way until you're ready to deal with it."

"The President shook my hand, thanked me for my bravery and pinned the medal on my uniform. As we posed for the picture I informed him I voted green party, and I was only doing my job."

"You didn't?" Dana shook her head.

"Well, I didn't vote green party, but he doesn't know that." Tegan looked over as Janet came back in. "Thanks."

"Dinner's ready," Cassie announced.

"I'll fix you a plate." Janet offered.

"Thanks."

Tegan did her best to eat; it wasn't that the food wasn't good. She'd told Cassie three times how good it was. It was just that sick feeling she'd had when she first saw the box was still lingering in the pit of her stomach.

Finally Janet stood and took her plate.

"Wrap it over and I'll eat the rest for lunch tomorrow."

"Was it really good? You don't have to lie." Cassie had watched everyone else clear their plates.

"I wouldn't lie to you Cass, it was the best, and I'm honored you wanted to make it for me. I'm just…" Her voice trailed off as she looked away.

"That box?"

"Yeah." Tegan thought sometimes Cassie was wise beyond her years. "It's got some things in it that belonged to my mom."

"I wish I had something that belonged to my mom." Cassie looked up as Janet rejoined them. "My other mom."

"It's ok Cassandra." Janet smiled sadly at the teen. She knew Cassie loved her, but that she also missed her real mother.

"I can understand that," Tegan offered. "But I never knew my mother, so it's a little weird."

Cassie nodded.

Dana reached for her purse as her phone rang. "Scully – I'll be there as soon as I can." She looked at Janet as she closed her mobile phone. "I need to go. I'm on call and Dr. Warner isn't feeling well."

"Do we have anyone in the infirmary?"

"Yeah, Jacobs from SG6 is recovering from a staff blast to the thigh, and still isn't stable enough to leave with just a medic on base."

A little while after Dana left Janet turned to Cassie. "Cassandra, you should probably be getting ready for bed."

"I need to clean up dishes first."

"I'll get them."

"You're tired." Cassie insisted.

"I'll put away the leftovers and do them in the morning."

"No I've got them."

"She's bossy like you," Tegan observed aloud as the teen walked out.

* * *

><p>"Janet?" Tegan spoke as Janet climbed into bed an hour after she'd gotten in.<p>

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't," Tegan sighed. "I can't sleep."

"Pain?"

"No," She sighed again. "It's that damn box. Where'd you put it?"

"It's in the guest room."

"Oh."

"Do you want me to go get it?" Janet turned to face her in the dark.

"No, there's no need to bother Cassie." She yawned audibly. "I'm so tired, why can't I just sleep?"

Janet ran her fingers through her hair and kissed her forehead.

"She's not really my sister," Tegan spoke again. "Or even my half sister."

"Do you remember her?" Janet asked.

"We don't share a biological parent. We're not blood."

Janet continued to comb through soft tresses with her fingers, occasionally rubbing her thumb over Tegan's furrowed brow trying to relax the muscles there.

"One Christmas she slid cookies under the door and Randall yelled at her." Tegan could still remember those cookies; how they looked, what they smelled like, and if she closed her eyes she could still taste them. "But that doesn't make her my sister. We don't share any DNA."

"What kind of cookies were they?"

"Gingerbread, there was a rocking horse and a man missing his leg."

Janet smiled and let her hand fall away from Tegan's hair.

Tegan reached for Janet's hand and pulled it so her arm draped across her. Janet tensed.

"Relax Jan, you're not going to hurt me."


	14. Chapter 14

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Origins of Truth 14  
><strong>

"Morning." Janet came into the bedroom after taking Cassie to school.

"I didn't keep you up last night did I?"

"No." That answered Janet's question but she asked anyway. "I guess you didn't sleep much?"

"A little."

Janet shook her head. "So what's today's agenda?"

"I guess I should start by getting out of bed." Tegan carefully sat up.

"Shower first, or breakfast?"

Tegan shook her head. "I couldn't eat right now if my life depended on it."

"So, shower?"

"Yeah." Tegan nodded knowing at least for a few minutes she could be distracted by Janet's fingers massaging shampoo into her scalp.

Once Tegan was settled on the couch Janet put her hands on her hips. "Toast? Something to drink?"

Tegan shook her head negatively. "Just the box, please."

"Alright." Janet nodded before walking out of the living and returning a minute later with the dreaded box. "Where do you want it?"

Tegan pointed to the floor in front of the center cushion of the couch.

"I'll be in the bedroom if you need anything."

"Actually…"

"What?"

"Could you stay in here?" Tegan watched her intently. "Please."

Janet nodded and sat down in the chair. She was worried she was making Tegan weak. When she'd first met the fiery redhead, nothing seemed to faze her; and while she continued to be strong when it came to physical pain she was beginning to be more open with her emotions. Janet reasoned that this was good, Tegan was making progress, still something inside nagged at her. Despite Tegan still being stronger than Sam, who sometimes wore her emotions on her sleeve, Janet was worried she was breaking her down.

"Are you ok?" Tegan asked pulling her from her thoughts.

"I'm fine," Janet assured her.

Tegan leaned forward and pulled the smaller stack of bound books out and sat them on the coffee table. Next she lifted what could only be described as old photo albums, the kind with the sticky pages and plastic overlays. She opened one and the very first picture could have been a picture of herself, aside from the age of the picture and the fact the woman was wearing a wedding dress. Tegan took a deep breath catching Janet's attention.

"She was beautiful, just like you."

Tegan mumbled something that sounded like thanks before flipping the page, it had a clipping of the engagement announcement on one page and a five by seven original of the picture that had been used in the announcement on the opposite page. Her mom was standing under a large tree and Randall was standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her. Tegan slammed the book shut, this was going to be hard and she wasn't going to torture herself by looking at pictures of the man who'd made her childhood hell.

Janet watched curiously as she dropped the photo albums back in the box before reaching forward for the other books that had been included in the box. Tegan open up the small burgundy leather bound journal, its pages had yellowed over the years. Inside was a sealed envelope addressed to her. She carefully tore the edge open feeling the constant thud inside her chest. Shaky fingers unfolded the thin fragile paper.

"My Dear Tegan,

This journal is for you. I hope you will understand why I madethe choices I did.

Randall, if you should read this, please forgive me. It's the only

lie I ever told you, and I did it because I knew you would never forgive

yourself other wise.

Love,

Allison"

Tegan's brow furrowed deeply as she put the letter aside.

_"Last month Randall and I gave into the heat of the moment at the drive in, the only condom we had was probably dry rotted. I should have stopped him, but I needed to feel him, I needed to make love to him."_

Tegan thought she was going to be sick as she read on. _"I should have started my period three days ago."_

She read a few more pages without any further mention of her current predicament.

Tegan's heart beat in her ears. _"I bought a home pregnancy test today, and its positive. I don't know what I'm going to tell Randall. He thinks I've picked up a stomach bug."_

Certain words and statements just seemed to jump off the pages at her. _"I can't deny it any longer, I saw the doctor today. Blood tests confirm it. I have a life growing inside of me."_

_"I told Randall today. I told him that I was raped, and I was afraid to tell him about it, but now that I'm pregnant I can't keep it from him. He wants me to abort the pregnancy, the doctor agrees. I can't, I feel you inside me, I can't kill you."_

_"I think I've made him understand, he says he will love you like his own, but he's saddened at the prospect of losing me. Nothing is written in stone, I could survive this pregnancy."_

_"You're going to be a fighter, everyday I feel you get stronger. Today you tried to play soccer with one of my kidneys, be careful in there Tiger."_

_"I think you're a boy, I don't know why. I'm searching for the perfect name for you."_

_"Tegan, your name is Tegan and it means beautiful. I'm sure you'll be just that, beautiful. And I've decided you're not a boy after all."_

_"Ok Tegan, lay off my kidneys. One of these days you could be pregnant and your baby is going to get you back. And my bladder isn't a trampoline."_

_"This will probably be my last entry, and I want to tell you all the things a mother should be able to tell her little girl as she grows up. So, when you get your first skinned knee, it's going to sting like hell, but by the time you get married the pain will be gone, and the scar a faded memory of how you did it. Knowing you, you'll have lots of skinned knees, and who knows what else. You know that kid that picked on you in kindergarten; he had a crush on you, and pulled your hair to see if you would cry. Your first breakup, it's hard, some guys are just jerks. When you find mister right, you'll be glad you left the jerks behind. If you don't find mister right, you'll find someone who will love you and make you happy, love them with all your heart and don't be afraid of love._

_"I want to be there when all these things happen, when you graduate from high school I want to be that mom who keeps whistling and yelling that that's her baby who's walking across that stage. When you go to college I want to be the one you call to tell me how you're first day was away from home. I want you to know that I don't care if you become a doctor or manager of McDonald's, just become. I want you to know that I will always love you, always, no exceptions ever._

_"Randall promised to love you and care for you as if you were his own, I trust him to do this. He promised not to tell you that he isn't your father, and despite what he thinks he is. I just couldn't break his heart and tell him that he'd fathered you, he'd never forgive himself for my death, and I'm afraid you'd grow up with out any parents._

_"I love you Tegan."_

Tegan flung the book across the room with enough force it left a small dent in the wallboard on impact before fluttering to the floor. Shadow jumped up and looked around, not sure what had just happened, as Janet looked over the top of Les Miserables. "Tegan?"

"She's wrong." A look of relief washed over her face.

"What?"

"My mom, she's wrong. She said she was never raped and that Randall is my father, but she's wrong. The Asgard."

"But you said you weren't created by the Asgard, they just…"

"Shit!" She closed her eyes. Her fist clenched and she screamed, "FUCK!"

"Tegan?" Janet moved to the couch cautiously, having never seen Tegan in such a state.

"She wasn't raped. I never thought I'd actually wish she was." Tegan opened her eyes and looked at Janet. "He's my father. All these years he's treated me worse than a mangy mutt, and he's my father."

* * *

><p>The next morning Tegan woke up with a start causing Janet to wake with her.<p>

"Are you ok?" Janet inquired when Tegan sat up.

"What if he isn't my father?" Tegan asked as predawn light slipped through the blinds.

"What?" Janet rubbed her eyes. Her alarm clock would be going off in twenty more minutes.

"What if the Asgard don't really know what Loki did? What if I really am a test tube baby, made in a lab aboard an Asgard vessel?"

"Does it make a difference?"

Tegan turned and looked at Janet. "Does it make a difference? I want to know if that bastard is my father."

"He didn't think he was your father."

"So that's it? That excuses everything he's done to me?"

"I didn't say that." Janet sighed. "I'm just not sure what difference it makes one way or another. If he's your father and he never knew it or if he isn't."

"Because I need to know." Tegan looked around the room. "I need to know if I have a half sister out there."

"Ok, I'll call Dana and see if she has any favors she can call in. Otherwise you're going to have to figure out how to get Jessica to fly all the way out here so we can run DNA on her."

Tegan nodded.

Janet was sitting in the chair working on the last third of the unabridged Les Miserables while Tegan sat on the far end of the couch reading the last of the small bound books. Jack had stopped by to pick up Shadow that morning, something about needing him to do a sweep of the base.

Tegan opened the leather journal.

_"Allison, today was the one of happiest and the saddest days of my life. I gained the most beautiful granddaughter, but I also lost my best friend and most precious daughter all with in the same hour. I don't know how I will go on, but I will."_

She knew immediately it was her Grandmother Irene's journal.

_"Allison, Randall has changed so much in the months since your death. Tegan isn't growing like she should. The doctors say it's failure to thrive, and isn't uncommon in situations like these. But I think some of it is neglect. I've moved in to help take care of her."_

_"Allison, If I'm cooking dinner, taking a shower, or using the bathroom, Randall just lets her cry. He won't even look at her. It's like she has the plague or something."_

"Allison, _Tegan_ _turned one yesterday. It's been a rough year without you. Randall didn't come home until four in the morning, and he was drunk. I don't think he'll ever get over losing you. I also think he blames your precious angel._

_"Tegan and I had our own little party. She likes yellow cup cakes with chocolate icing."_

Tegan smiled lightly, they were still her favorite.

_"Allison, I took Tegan for her eighteen month check up. She's smart and at or above all of her development marks. Randall still shows no interest in her. I wish I hadn't promised to keep your secret. Though I'm not sure it would make a difference."_

_"Allison, Tegan turned two today. Randall's not here. I assume he's out drinking. Tegan doesn't like red velvet cake."_

_"Allison, Randall's lost it. Completely flipped. Tegan turned three yesterday and he yelled at her, told her she killed you and then stormed out of the house. He was sober at the time._

_"Tegan doesn't like Twinkies."_

_"Allison, Tegan turned four yesterday. After Randall made another scene and stormed out we ate chocolate cake, for breakfast._

_"Randall was actually sober when he came home. He announced he is sending Tegan off to a private boarding school next year. I'll only to get to see her when she comes home for holidays, and breaks. He says he won't pick her up on the weekends, and forbids me to do so. I tried to talk him into putting her in public school here and let me continue to care for her._

_"He says I can live here as long as I want, but Tegan is going away to boarding school and that's final. He says it's in her best interest, but I disagree. We argued about it until two am when my chest was hurting so bad I had to go to bed."_ Tegan's own chest constricted as she continued reading. _"It's still hurting this morning, I'm sure it's the stress of arguing with Randall and nothing more. I need to go fix lunch for your darling Angel Tegan. She really is the sweetest child. I just don't understand him."_

Tegan felt her heart stop in her chest. One second it was been beating a nice rhythmic "Ca-thunk – Ca-thunk" and the next nothing. She took a deep breath, "Ca-thunk." She knew without turning the page this was her Grandmother's last entry.

"Ca-thunk… Ca-thunk… …Ca-thunk…." She concentrated on the growing seconds between each beat. Ten, fifteen, twenty, thirty… "Ca-thunk" …had a full minute passed since the last beat? The stillness in her chest was like a leaden weight pulling her down, and before she had even thought to call out to Janet, the darkness had over taken her.

There was no light calling her home, no loved ones there to greet her, only darkness… thick darkness, like pure concentrated octopus ink had replaced everything around her. She knew this place, she had been here before.


	15. Chapter 15

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Origins of Truth 15  
><strong>

Ca-THUNK!

Janet looked up as she heard the journal hit the floor, it had ricocheted off the side of the couch with a softer noise. Tegan's hand lay limp, her head lulled back on the couch her eyes partly open and rolled back. Had her eyes been closed Janet would have just smiled and gone back to reading, but both her gut and Tegan's eyes told her the redhead wasn't sleeping.

"Tegan!" Janet jumped to her feet. Cassie wasn't home yet and she reached for the phone as she did her best to get Tegan into a prone position. She was groping Tegan's carotid artery feeling for a pulse with one hand, while dialing with the other. Expert fingers found a slow weak pulse just beneath their tips as she fumbled with the phone dropping it.

"Ca-thunk… …Ca-thunk…" She heard the increasing regularity like faint tribal drums in her ears. "Ca-thunk… Ca-thunk…"

"I'm fine." Tegan tried to smile when she saw Janet pulling the phone to her ear.

"You were unconscious." She heard the operator in her ear, and felt the reassuring pulsation of blood flowing beneath her fingers tips as Tegan's heart beat stronger and faster.

"Dr. Fraiser?" The switchboard operator asked having seen Tegan's name and number on the caller id system, which was set to track even unlisted numbers. He knew the voice didn't belong to the tall thin red head who sometimes inhabited his fantasies.

"Yes, I'm sorry I was calling for medical transport, but –"

"I don't need it." Tegan spoke in the background.

"I'll call back if the situation changes."

"Yes ma'am."

"You didn't give me time to answer," Tegan explained as Janet disconnected the call.

"You passed out. Your eyes had rolled back…"

"I know. I –" Tegan paused feeling the heat rise from the pit of her stomach engulfing her face in crimson. "I forget to breathe."

She hadn't done that since medical school at least.

"You forgot to breathe?" An incredulous look accompanied the question.

"Yes." She grinned a little sheepishly. "Sorry?"

"For almost giving me a heart attack?" Janet shook her head not sure if Tegan was being honest. "You're lucky I didn't jump to my feet and give you a percordial thump."

"You're not one to assume."

"Are you sure that's what happened."

Tegan nodded and carefully dropped her casted leg off the couch while accepting Janet's outstretched hand to help her sit back up.

Janet watched her clench her jaw. "Ribs?"

"You must not have been too gentle."

"Sorry. I can get you something for –"

"No." Tegan patted the cushion next to her. "You don't believe I forgot to breathe?"

"I don't think it's the most logical explanation given your history."

"Then let me tell you something you don't know about me." Tegan waited for Janet to settle beside her before continuing. "When I was a kid, I'd get scared or stressed and I'd forget to breathe. I passed out several times before the school nurse figured it out. Actually, one day I passed out when I had to give a speech in front of the class. I was fine, but school policy dictated they had to call a parent or guardian. It was before he gave partial guardianship to the school, and I sat in the chair beside her desk while she dialed his number. Next thing I knew I was on the floor and she was standing over me. She put her neck on the line when she didn't actually call Randall."

Janet smiled lightly thinking Tegan must have really pulled at some heart strings as a child, with what she knew about Debbie and now this story. Of course she reasoned she was sometimes more of a push over when it came to Tegan than she was with her other charges.

"Silly huh?"

"No it's not." Janet took Tegan's left hand and sandwiched it between both of hers.

"I love you." Tegan wasn't sure why she had to say it now, but she did.

Janet nodded.

She was about to add another hash mark to her score card when she remembered what Debbie has said, and then she felt Janet squeeze her hand.

"I need to make a phone call."

"I really am ok."

Janet nodded even as she let go of Tegan's hand and reached for the phone. She pressed redial and listened to it ring twice.

"Did you change your mind Dr. Fraiser?"

She was thrown off by the lack of protocol followed by the base operator, but covered it well. "No, I need to speak with Major Samantha Carter please."

"Yes ma'am," He replied. "Hold please."

After Janet talked to Sam, briefly explaining Tegan's need for some space that evening she readily agreed to pick Cassie up from school and keep her over night.

"You didn't have to do that." Tegan watched Janet replace the phone in it's charger on the end table.

"I thought you and I could use some time here, alone. She said she'll keep Shadow too."

"You just don't want to have anything to worry about should you have to whisk me off to the infirmary." Tegan doubted her reasoning.

"You told me that you just forgot to breathe."

"And that's all it was."

"Then I shouldn't have to worry about whisking you off to the infirmary right?" Janet's brow arched in question as she pulled her feet up, tucking them between her and the couch.

"No." Tegan's voice was soft as she shook her head.

"So?" Janet leaned forward and plucked the journal off the floor. Despite the growing curiosity she flipped the book shut and laid it on the coffee table. "I'm not going to push you."

"Really?"

"Really," Janet parroted.

"It's my Grandmother Irene's journal, my mom's mom."

"The one that took care of you?"

"Until she died the day after my fourth birthday." It was news to Tegan. She'd known she was four, but didn't remember having just turned four. She did remember hiding in the closet until Randall came home. He'd blamed her for that too, and in a way he'd been right. Tegan's chest hurt, she imagined it was a physiological response to what she'd just learned, to how she was feeling emotionally at the moment. "I – she had a heart attack after arguing most of the night with him over his decision to send me off to boarding school. She wrote her last journal entry just minutes before she died."

Janet put her arm around Tegan and was surprised when Tegan buried her head in her shoulder and cried.

* * *

><p>"Janet?" Tegan tentatively called out.<p>

"Hey." Janet appeared in the doorway a few seconds later. "How'd you sleep?"

"Ok."

"Really?"

"No." She looked down at her hands clasped in her lap. "Do you know why I became a doctor?"

"No." Janet moved into the room and sat on the opposite side of the bed facing Tegan.

"Because I always wondered if I could save them. If I had known what to do, would I have been able to save her."

"Your Grandmother?"

Tegan nodded. "And my mom."

"You were…"

"Too young? Not born?" Tegan shook her head before looking into sincere brown eyes. "I know that now. Maybe that's why I joined the Air Force, why I did so many different things."

"If you think it's because you lack direction, you couldn't be further from the truth."

"Am I?"

"Yes." Janet reached out and took Tegan's hand intertwining their long thin fingers. "The Tegan I know is – hardheaded."

Tegan smiled slightly.

"People who lack direction are rarely stubborn like you. The Tegan I know is also very protective, kind, caring, extremely intelligent, sexy as hell…"

"You could have stopped at stubborn."

"What I'm trying to say is you're wonderful."

"I don't have self esteem issues." She interrupted.

"Would you let me finish?"

Tegan nodded.

"I've never known you to do anything with out having a purpose behind it."

"Really?" She gave Janet the most incredulous look she could muster.

"Yes."

"130."

"Stress relief," Janet answered. She had only understood it months after it had happened. "Reckless stress relief mind you, but stress relief none the less."

"Yeah, it's a good thing I've got this cast on." She smiled.

"And that you got rid of your bike."

"Oh, I know how to commandeer it back."

"You wouldn't?"

"Hmmm?" Tegan thought for a second. "You know what?"

"What?"

"I think I'm hungry."

"Considering you didn't eat yesterday, you should be."

"I did…" Tegan thought back over the day. "A bowl of Cheerios."

"Yes you did, but that's not much."

"If you'll help me up onto one of the stools, I'll make my famous pancakes."

"I can make them."

"Then they won't be 'my' famous pancakes. Please Janet, I want to. I'm slowly going insane sitting around reading; which reminds me I'm out of reading material."

Janet thought Tegan's mind was a giant sponge. She could read a complete medical text in a couple days and remember almost everything she'd read months later.

"So, what do you say?"

"Alright."

"Thank you." She grinned as she brought Janet's hand to her lips and kissed the back of it.

* * *

><p>"Janet?"<p>

"Hmmm?" She purred.

"You're in my space." Tegan commented on Janet standing right behind her every since helping her up onto the stool.

"Sorry." She stepped back.

"No." Tegan shook her head. Even with her back turned Janet could tell she was smiling. "I like it."

Janet stepped back in even closer so her chest was pressing into Tegan's back.

"How many do you want?"

"How big are you making them?"

Tegan poured the batter into the pan. "About that big."

"Two." Janet kissed the back of her neck.

"Hey, don't do that."

"Don't do what?" Janet asked innocently.

"You know what." Tegan giggled as Janet kissed her neck again. "If you aren't going to finish what you're starting here, you'd better stop right now."

"I wasn't starting anything." Janet pointed to the frying pan. "I don't want mine burnt."

Tegan flicked her wrist expertly flipping the pancake into the air and catching it in the pan. "If it burns it's your fault."

"What do you want to drink?" Janet stepped back, breaking their contact.

"Water."


	16. Chapter 16

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Origins of Truth 16**

Janet opened the door and instead of having to look up, she looked directly into blue eyes. "Dana."

Dana pressed her lips together in a tight line, creating small creases at the corner of her mouth. She looked away and cleared her throat.

Janet's eyes feel to the manila envelope in her right hand. The nail of Dana's neatly manicured index finger tapped the edge. "She's in the living room."

Dana nodded and stepped inside pausing while Janet pushed the door shut.

"You've got company." Janet moved around Dana and into the living room as Tegan looked over.

"That's usually what a ringing doorbell means," She lightly poked fun at Janet before taking in their serious expressions. "Who died?"

Dana raised an eyebrow and made her way over to the couch. She held out the envelope.

"That was quick."

"I called in a favor." She looked at the floor for a second before looking back up. "They already had his DNA on file from the investigation into his second wife's murder. I found out they had Jessica's on file as well, and asked them to send it along."

Tegan pulled out the contents of the first envelope which included her own PCR films and another sealed envelope. She looked between the two women standing on the other side of the coffee table. "So you don't know the results?"

Dana shook her head no as Tegan looked down at the envelope and took a deep breath.

"Do you really –" Janet started.

"I do…" Tegan interrupted without looking up.

"I know, I just –"

"I'll be fine Janet." She took another deep breath feeling their eyes on her. She tore open the edge and pulled out the films. She laid the three black and bluish white negatives on top of the envelope on the center cushion and stared at them. The room was silent except for their breathing. Several minutes passed before Janet saw Tegan's jaw clench.

"Tegan?"

"I'm fine." She ground out between gritted teeth. She stacked the films on top of one another and slid them back into the envelope.

Dana watched her carefully for a couple of minutes. She really didn't know Tegan all that well, aside from the time she'd spent with her since moving to Colorado and what she'd read in her file. But she knew enough to know she wasn't fine. She was also pretty sure from her reaction she knew what the results were. It seemed to be the one thing neither she nor Janet was willing to ask.

Tegan looked up to see both women staring at her as if she'd grown a second head.

Finally Janet broke the silence. "Don't shut me out."

Tegan shook her head.

Janet watched her for several seconds. "Tegan, breathe."

Tegan inhaled through her nose pressing her lips into a thin line as she exhaled. Alone, she needed the process this alone. "Cassie, you need to pick her up."

"I will."

"Now, it's time now."

Janet glanced at Dana briefly before looking back at Tegan. "If she's worried, she has her cell phone, she'll call."

"I'm fine. Go."

"I can go get her." Dana offered.

"No." Tegan responded before Janet could. "I want to be alone."

"You don't need to be alone." Janet shook her head.

"I Want to Be Alone." She insisted.

"If you don't mind." Janet turned to Dana. "I'd like to stay and –"

"Damn it, Janet! I Said I WANT to be ALONE."

"I heard you the first time." Janet remained calm.

"I'll just keep Cassie overnight and make sure she gets on the bus in the morning."

"Thank you." Janet watched Dana retreat from the room before turning back to Tegan. "Breathe."

Tegan stared at her. She felt like she was going to explode, little pieces of her would be found in neighboring states. She locked her jaw. "Please leave."

"No." Janet stood her ground.

"Janet…"

"I'm not going anywhere."

"He's… he's…" Her stomach revolted. She tired to breathe through her mouth, tired to get the chef salad she'd eaten for lunch to settle. She hoped if it were going to come up that at least the pancakes weren't mixed in with it.

She didn't know how long she'd been concentrating on not vomiting when she felt the cool wet rag touch her forehead; the gentle touch of Janet's hand on her back.

Janet didn't fully understand why the news had come as such a shock to Tegan. From the letter Tegan's mom had written, they were already pretty sure what the results would be. Although she knew Tegan was holding onto the thin hope that she was made in an Asgard lab, she thought Tegan was prepared. Maybe there was no way to ever be fully prepared to know that your father is the monster under your bed.

"My own flesh and blood," Tegan found her voice. She pulled Janet's hand and subsequently the rag away from her forehead.

There were so many things Janet could have said, but nothing seemed right. Most of them sounded like she was defending Randall, and hell would have to freeze over before she would do that.

"I need the phone."

"What are you going to do?"

Tegan looked at Janet for a second. "I guess I need the business card out of the box too. I'm going to call Jessica."

"What about…"

"Randall?" Tegan asked when Janet didn't. "Nothing; but only because it's what my mother wanted, although I don't know why I'm honoring her wishes. It's not like she's blameless in how he treated me. And Nana… she let him believe the lie."

"Why do you say that?"

"If she would have just told him the truth…"

"She was keeping a promise she'd made to her dying daughter."

"I know."

"And who's to say if it would have made any difference?"

"I don't know."

"You can't change what's happened."

"See, this is why I wanted to be left alone." Tegan tried not to grin.

"So, what are you going to tell Jessica?"

"I'm not sure."

"Don't you think you should give it some time, let things settle down before you call her?"

"No, I need to do it now." Tegan dialed the phone and brought the receiver to her ear. It rang twice before a female voice answered.

"Hello?... Hello?"

Tegan disconnected the call.

"Change your mind?" Janet asked.

Tegan gave a half hearted shrug and rested her hand with the phone still clutched in it on her lap. She jumped a few minutes later when it rang shrilly into the quite room. She let it ring a second time, silently willing her heart to slow. "Hello."

"You called me?"

"How did you get my number?" Tegan demanded.

"You have heard of caller ID, right?"

Great, her sister was a smart ass. "I'm unlisted."

"Right." She clicked her tongue.

"Screw up?"

"Something like that." Jessica replied without thinking.

"So I could have your job for this?" Tegan felt Janet put a placating hand on her thigh.

"I wouldn't go that far." Jessica offered. "So, you called me?"

"Yes, I did."

"Why?" It was like pulling teeth, and Jessica wondered if it was always this difficult to communicate with her. Then again considering what she knew of Tegan's childhood, she shouldn't be surprised.

"Why did you give me that box?"

"It's yours… I thought you would want it."

"Well I don't."

"Then you can throw it away." Jessica responded. "I just didn't feel it was my place to throw away something that belonged to your mother."

"Fine, I will." Tegan looked down at Janet's hand. She was glad she didn't leave.

"And that's why you called?"

"Yes."

"I find that hard to believe."

"And why is that? You don't know me."

"No, I guess I don't."

"You don't sound convincing." Tegan called her bluff. "What do you know about me?"

"I know that you're not his kid. I know that you're some genius… that he never wanted." She could dance around a question almost as well as Tegan.

"And?" Tegan refrained from reminding her that he had killed Jessica's mom at point blank range.

"Look, I didn't give you that stuff because I felt a need to reconnect with a big sister or anything. I mean it's not like you ever fell in that category anyway."

"You didn't read the journals?" Tegan was sure she had.

"No, when I saw the journals weren't my mom's handwriting, and the letter was addressed to you I packed them up until I could get them to you."

Tegan took a deep breath.

"What?"

"I… the police…" Now that she had to tell her she didn't know how. "The police took a DNA sample from you… after Randall killed your mother."

"Yes, I'd had a nose bleed at the house a week before." Jessica paused. "I don't see what that has to do with anything."

"Yeah, well, a lot." Tegan looked at Janet. "You were wrong about one thing."

"What's that?"

"We're… we're half sisters."

"How'd you get my DNA?"

"How'd you get my phone number?"

"I can't tell you that."

Tegan laughed lightly. "Then we're even. What difference does it make anyway?"

"So?"

"Do you need anything?"

"This doesn't change anything." Jessica responded. "If you think I gave you that stuff on the dim hope that you would somehow feel indebted to me, you're wrong."

"I, actually I did, at least originally." Tegan decided not to lie to her.

"Well I didn't."

"Then I owe you an apology."

"You know I don't need you feeling like you have to take care of me, or play big sister just because we're now suddenly related."

"Good, because I don't really have time for any pet projects."

Janet shook her head, a warning that she was taking this too far.

"Good, neither do I."

"You know," Tegan started and stopped.

"What?" Jessica snapped.

"I have a feeling we're a lot more alike than either of us would have thought."

"I doubt that."

Tegan knew she would. "Of course you do."

"If it makes you feel any better, he never loved me either."

Tegan closed her eyes. "It doesn't."

After a minute of silence Jessica spoke. "I should go."

"If you ever need anything…"

"I won't," She interrupted. "I already told you, I wasn't looking for a big sister."

"Regardless, you have my number now."

"I do. Bye."

"Bye," Tegan said as she heard the line disconnect in her ear.

"Are you ok?" Janet asked when Tegan hung the phone up.

Tegan shrugged her shoulders. "I will be."


	17. Chapter 17

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Origins of Truth 17  
><strong>

"Hello?" Tegan answered the phone. "Hey John, how's it going?... Seriously?... That's great news. I don't think I'll be able to pick them up until next week… Alright that sounds great."

Janet looked over as Tegan cleared the caller ID before putting the phone back on the charging base. "Anything I can help you with?"

"Yeah." Tegan smiled. "You can get me out of this cast."

"We'll see Monday."

"Why can't you take me in now and do x-rays? You and I both know a few days isn't going to make that much of a difference."

"Keep pushing…" Janet left the rest of the threat unspoken.

"Fine." Tegan was just glad she'd gotten the focus off the phone conversation, so she wouldn't have to lie to Janet. She would if she had too, but she really didn't want to break her lie free track record. "So, what's for dinner?"

Janet was fully aware Tegan had bypassed her question and changed the subject. Tegan was extremely good at avoiding questions, but Janet was equally well at noticing her maneuvers. "What do you want?"

"Chinese?"

"I thought we'd do that tomorrow night, Cassie's staying with Gillian and I thought we'd do take out and a movie."

"What movie?"

"I don't know, something new."

"Really you don't want to torture me with another one of your classics? We haven't watched 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' yet."

"I didn't say it wouldn't be some sappy romance," Janet playfully warned.

"As long as I get to cuddle with you while we watch it, I don't care."

Janet smiled.

"What?"

"That was sweet."

"Well, it's known to happen at least once in a blue moon." She returned the smile.

* * *

><p>"Janet?"<p>

"Hmmm?" Janet lifted her brows but her eyes never moved.

Tegan looked at her for a full minute before Janet lifted her head.

"What?"

Tegan shook her head like a child deciding whatever the question was it could wait until their mother was in a better mood to ask it.

"You said my name." Janet's features softened.

"I know I did, but it's not important."

Janet glanced back down at the book she'd been engrossed in. She was currently deciding whether it was worth pursuing or if she should go back to her lazy Sunday routine, of burying herself in a book and just relaxing the day away. She pulled the bookmark from the back of her book and placed it between the two pages before closing the book and laying it on the end table. "I'm all ears."

"It's really nothing." Tegan watched Janet move over on the couch so she was as close to Tegan as she could get without actually touching her.

After several minutes of quite Tegan decided to broach the subject; "What do you think about moving?"

"I thought we already discussed this." Janet frowned lightly.

"We did, months ago."

"And nothing has changed. It's just not a good time for me to put the house on the market. I'd probably lose money on it, and I don't want to uproot Cassandra from her school."

"If you were to get transferred…"

"You and I know the likelihood of that. Hell would freeze over first." Janet paused. "Besides, if it happens I'll deal with it then. Cassandra would understand, and I might rent the house out. But she wouldn't understand just moving across town."

"But what if she were in the same school district?" Tegan hoped.

"It doesn't solve the problem of the housing market right now." Janet shut her down. "I told you before you can move in with me."

"There's military regs."

"And that's different than us moving in together somewhere else, how? Besides all anyone would think was that I was renting out the guest room."

"Which is currently occupied."

"Is that what this is?" Janet smiled at the thought. "Are you jealous?"

"Hardly," Tegan huffed.

"Not even just a little bit?" The smile fell and Janet stiffened.

"Nope." Tegan felt the air around them change.

Janet waited for her to say something like 'Dana knows I'd kill her if she tried to steal you away,' or something, but she didn't. Janet pushed to her feet before she felt Tegan grab her hand. She refused to turn around, to show Tegan the tears pricking at her eyes.

"I'm not jealous, because I trust you."

Janet melted right there. Tegan didn't trust many people and she knew just how short that list was.

* * *

><p>Tegan had filed away the earlier conversation, but she hadn't given up hope on changing Janet's mind. It just wouldn't be anytime soon. She looked at the TV screen, she couldn't even remember what they were watching, some new box office hit that'd recently come out to rent. Something Janet had picked up when she took the last movie they'd watched back.<p>

Cassie had already gone to bed complaining of being tired, which couldn't possibly be related to staying up most of Friday and Saturday night talking about boys with Gillian. Tegan pulled Janet closer to her letting her hand lightly graze her right breast as she did so.

Janet mused that Tegan's ribs must be well on the mend even as her nipple reacted to Tegan's touch. She cleared her throat. "Just snuggling."

"Hmm?" Tegan pretended to be absorbed in the movie.

Of course Janet knew better, the movie was far to tame to keep Tegan fully interested and the feel of her left hand on her thigh just backed up her theory. "I said just snuggling."

"I am." Tegan rubbed the inside of Janet's thigh with her thumb.

Janet cleared her throat.

"What?"

"I'm serious."

"Janet," she whined.

"Not until you're healed."

"I am healed."

Janet pointed to the cast trying to ignore the heat that was building in her groin. "When you're completely out of a cast."

"Fine." She pulled her arm from around Janet's shoulders and removed her hand from her thigh, crossing both arms over her chest.

Janet had been asleep for about an hour when she felt the weight on the bed shift waking her. She was just about to ask if everything was alright when she felt Tegan's hand slide up under her tank top. She tried not to tense, afraid Tegan might abort whatever it was she was up to if she thought she'd woken up. Still she wasn't sure exactly what Tegan was up to, and it bothered her to think that Tegan might actually try and take advantage of her. She slowed her breathing even as Tegan's pinky brushed the top of her panties.

Tegan flattened her hand on Janet's abdomen and inhaled. She relaxed as she exhaled one word, "Mine."

Janet rolled over as Tegan awoke. "Good morning."

"Hmmm." Tegan smiled before her brow creased. "Cassie?"

"Sam stopped by to pick up Shadow and offered to take her to school."

"That was nice." Tegan smiled again letting her eyes close.

"Yours?" Janet pointed to herself.

"What?" Tegan opened her eyes, a little more awake this time.

Janet flattened her hand on her abdomen where Tegan's had been the night before. "Yours?"

Tegan blushed crimson as she felt a surge of heat between her legs.

"I hope you've got a better poker face when you're being interrogated." Janet knew she did. Unfortunately she'd seen just how proficient Tegan was under even the worst of interrogation techniques.

"I didn't know I was being interrogated." She forced the blush to abate.

"So?" Janet got back to the question at hand. "Yours?"

Tegan shrugged, it was too late to deny it. "You were awake?"

"I was." Janet nodded.

"I thought you were sleeping." Tegan slid her hand under Janet's and felt her abdominal muscles tighten. "I would never take advantage of you."

"I know." For some reason knowing that now made her want Tegan that much more.

"Anytime you tell me to stop I will." Tegan looked deep into those big dark eyes.

Janet nodded.

Tegan slid her hand down until her fingertips brushed the elastic waist band of Janet's underwear. The ones she knew, without looking, were a pale shade of pink. She leaned in and kissed her deeply, claiming her mouth as hers.

The kiss was powerful and overbearing. Janet could feel the desperation, the need, the want. When she tried to pull away for air, the kiss became more possessive as Tegan's tongue wrestled with hers in an exotic dance reserved for lovers.

When she finally pulled back Janet was panting for air. Tegan didn't pause as she kissed and licked her way down Janet's neck to the thin strap of the tank top she'd slept in. The positioning was awkward, and her casted leg prevented her from crawling atop Janet and attacking her with both hands. It frustrated her, and she decided the tank top would just have to stay in place as she slipped her fingers under the elastic.

"Tegan," Janet's voice begged.

Tegan put her mouth to her ear and whispered roughly, "Just tell me to stop."

She licked Janet's ear lobe and pulled it lightly between her teeth until it slid free. Her eyes fell to the pulsations in Janet's neck, the rise and fall of her chest. She slid her fingers between Janet's legs feeling the inviting slickness of her labia, the heat radiating off swollen lips. She covered Janet's mouth with hers.

When the fourth set of contractions stopped pulling on her fingers Tegan withdrew her hand and licked her fingers before falling back on the bed with a satisfied grin. She'd completely expected Janet to stop her.

"What?" A breathless Janet looked over.

"Thank you."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you." She smiled feeling the familiar rawness inside her.

"No." Tegan shook her head. "I was beginning to think…"

"To think what?"

"I don't know? That you weren't… we weren't…" She waved her hand between them.

"Not that the sex isn't good." She took a deep breath. "Hell it's great. But you and I both know our relationship isn't built on just that. What we have goes so much deeper."

"Then move in with me."

"Is that what this was?" Janet sat up the sheet falling in a pool around her waist.

"No," Tegan sounded offended.

"Good, because we've already had this discussion several times; including yesterday."

Tegan closed her eyes and Janet could tell she was counting.

"If you want me to tell Dana to start looking for a place so you can move in, I will." She interrupted the silent counting.

"No." Tegan's eyes snapped open and narrowed on Janet.

"It's not like you're home all that often anyway, and Dana doesn't care if we share a room."

"Forget it." She turned away.

"It's time to eat. What do you want?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Because I won't say 'Ok, let's go out and buy a big house and move in together?'" She waited for an answer. "I would lose money."

"I'm just not hungry. You don't have to turn this into something it's not. It was just a statement. Like I said, forget it." Tegan jumped as Janet's hands caressed her shoulders.

"It's money, and it's Cassandra." She massaged the tense shoulders. "The housing market is in the hopper right now, and I won't put Cassie in another school district."

Tegan nodded, she hoped that was really all it was.

"If you're not going to eat, we should probably get cleaned up and so we can see how those bones are healing."

"Ok."


	18. Chapter 18

**Tegan Chronicles**

**Origins of Truth 18  
><strong>

"Well?" Tegan asked when Janet rounded the curtain.

"Walking cast for one to two weeks, and then physical therapy."

Tegan couldn't contain her smile. "So, when can I come back to work?"

"Let's see how you do with the walking cast first, but maybe limited duty next week."

"Maybe? Next week? Why not –" She stopped abruptly seeing the warning brewing in Janet's eyes. "Fine."

"Kiser!" Jack called as he entered the infirmary. "I heard you were visiting us today."

"Sir." She nodded.

"So, when's Doc. Fraiser going to let you jump?"

"One step at a time Colonel." Janet's eyes narrowed on him.

"Of course Doc."

* * *

><p>Tegan stood up after eating lunch Wednesday afternoon. "I need to go run some errands."<p>

"Do you want me to come with?"

Tegan had expected her to ask. "No, I should be ok."

Janet watched her for a minute before shrugging with her eyebrows.

"I've also got dinner planned so don't worry about starting anything while I'm gone."

"Alright."

* * *

><p>"Did you get everything done?" Janet asked when Tegan returned two hours later.<p>

"I did." She held up her grocery bags.

"It took you that long to go grocery shopping?"

"I took a ride, needed to clear my head."

"Oh." Janet thought for a second. "Are we ok?"

"We're fine."

"Are you sure? You just haven't seemed… I don't know, like your self since our conversation Monday."

"I'm fine Janet. I just don't understand why you thought I would use sex as a way to change your mind."

"I don't think I really did, I was just thrown off by your statement. I mean I thought I had made myself clear."

"Oh you did." She tried to keep the bite out of her voice.

"Why won't you move in with me?"

"One, there isn't room."

"I told you I could ask Dana to find a place."

"She's already looking." Tegan responded before she could stop herself. "But even if she isn't there, you're place is too small."

"Too small?"

"Where would I put my kayak, my surfboards, snowboards, mountain bike, just to name a few? You've got a one car garage that is already housing Cassie's surf board and bike and I know you don't want me taking it over."

"You could rent out a storage unit."

"And what are you giving up?"

Janet just stared at Tegan still standing there holding the bags of groceries.

"I've got to get dinner started."

Janet stood up and followed her into the kitchen. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing." She looked at Janet after putting the bags on the counter. "I want something that's ours, not something that's yours."

"Does it really matter?"

"No, but there are other things."

"Regs?"

Tegan nodded, as the phone rang. She looked at the caller ID before answering. "Hey kid."

"Hey, is mom there?"

"It's Cassie." Tegan handed the phone off.

"Hey Cassandra."

"Hey, Julie's here and wanted to know if I could come for dinner, she says she'll drop me off by eight thirty."

"What have I told you about calling her Julie?"

"But Mrs. Copley insists I call her Julie."

"Have fun."

"Thanks mom."

Janet hung up the phone and turned back to Tegan. "Cassie's eating at Sgt. Copley's tonight."

"Well I can wait and fix dinner tomorrow night when she'll be here and we can order out, or have leftovers tonight." Tegan wasn't very hungry anymore.

"I think I'm going to go home tomorrow."

"Fine, I'll fix dinner tonight then."

"Tegan." Janet's voice stopped her. "I just want to get back into a normal routine for both Cassandra and I before I go back to work on Monday."

"I understand." Tegan started pulling out the ingredients she needed for dinner.

* * *

><p>"How are you feeling?" Janet asked as she walked up with Tegan's chart.<p>

It had been weeks since she'd really seen Janet, at least off base. She'd been busy with physical therapy and working on a project when she wasn't working for the Air Force. She'd also spent a lot of nights sleepless and lonely in a bed that seemed empty. "I… I'm fine."

"You hesitated."

"I was going to say I missed you, but…"

"I've missed you too." Something in Janet's eyes told Tegan she'd been going through the same thing. "Now, physically?"

"My physical therapist has released me, and I ran the physical fitness course matching my own record."

Janet nodded.

"So does that mean I get to jump tomorrow?"

"What's the mission?"

"You know, just a routine mission: Boring, check out an uninhabited planet and look for naquada."

Both she and Janet knew there was never anything routine about walking through the Stargate. "I think so, but I want you to come over for dinner tonight."

Tegan smiled. "Maybe we can do dessert at my house?"


End file.
